


I Feel Like A Monster

by TenshiWarrior



Category: Ib (Video Game), Sonic the Hedgehog (Humanized), The Wolf Among Us
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-09
Updated: 2016-01-11
Packaged: 2018-04-03 16:14:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 29,466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4107109
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TenshiWarrior/pseuds/TenshiWarrior
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Shadow is the son of Bigby Wolf, but is an unknown fable, in Fabletown. When he, his friends, his father and Snow discover the head of another Fable named Faith, they have to find the killer. But what other secrets will they discover while on the case?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This will take place during season 1 of The Wolf Among Us, so spoilers for those that haven’t seen it yet. I do not own characters; they belong to their original owners. Also if you don't like stories like this I advise you not to read ahead.

- ** _Woodlands Apartment, Room 204_** -

 

      Fabletown.

 

      A place that has existed for centuries. It's a safe haven all Fables could go since the day they were exiled from a place called the Homelands. But it’s like what Snow had said, “Everything isn’t always perfect”.  And I guess in a way she's not wrong, but it's better than living in nothing.

 

The kind of Fable I am, are lucky to even be in this kind of town.

 

     Myself and others like me, have a different kind of name. We're either known as the Forgotten, the Unknown, or the Erased. In other words, we're Unknown Fables. The reason why we're called that is because our stories have just been well forgotten; hell we don't even know our own story ourselves, we only know so little. Sometimes we know what we are but not who we are; Some can be witches or nymphs and they still won't know which story or legend they came from.

 

I'm an Unknown Fable and my friends are as well and we were lucky to even get good families. On my side I would say it's technically good.

 

Beauty and her husband Beast adopted Garry and his little sister Ib, and Maria was adopted by Snow White. I pretty much got stuck with Bigby Wolf otherwise known as the “Big Bad Wolf”.

 

Or at least that's who he was back in his day, no literally the Big Bad Wolf, the whole deal. Let’s just say nowadays he doesn’t get along with others and I can’t really say that I blame them, sometimes he and I don’t agree on the same things either.

 

      He is strict when he wants to be, but he has his reasons for being like that. He just tries to protect Fables from killing each other and such, but others just don’t seem to get that like Mr. Toad. It’s not that I hate Mr. Toad; it’s just that sometimes he can get really annoying and stubborn as well, reminds me of my dads boss Ichabod Crane. Only difference with him and Toad is I don’t like the guy’s guts, something dad and I can agree on.

 

      It’s strange though, I don’t remember actually meeting him for the first time, or him adopting me. It’s just weird don’t you think?

 

      I sat at the table, reading one of my books that Maria got for me. Looking at the clock it was already past midnight. Once again, my dad was working late; He had gotten a call from Mr. Toad, a compliant I think, something about the Woodsman.

 

      I couldn’t sleep because honest to god I was a bit worried about my dad. I know the stories of Red Riding Hood, and he and the Woodsman do not get along well. The last time they had a confrontation, let’s just say it didn’t go so well and they both ended up going to a hospital.

 

      It’s bad enough that he can’t get some shut eye now a days, and that I have to live in a place like this and just straighten things out around here, but it would just... On second thought I’d rather not think about it.

 

      I got up from the table and placed it on the chair, and then went to get a drink from one of my dads beers. I was about to take a sip when I heard a familiar voice.

 

      “You're still underage you know?”

 

      I turned around to see Colin the pig. One of the three little pigs to be exact.

 

      “Colin.” I said to him, “You snuck off the farm again I see.”

 

      “Hey Shades.” He replied, “Yeah, I did. Trust me the Farm is a bad place for a person likes myself. You would understand if you were in my hooves.”

 

      After taking a small sip from the beer I placed it back in the fridge, “Why would you say that? I mean from what I’ve been hearing the Farm isn’t that bad of a place.”

 

      “Well that’s because they don’t know better Shades.” He said to me, “And those are coming from the people that don’t need to use glamour’s.”

 

      “Come on Colin, your being dramatic.” I said.

 

      Colin looked around the apartment, “Your dad out?”

 

      “Yeah. He just had another complaint. This time it’s from Mr. Toad.”

 

      “What was it this time?”

 

      “I’m not sure, he left in a hurry when he got the call, I think he said it was about the Woodsman.”

 

      “Must’ve been serious than.”

 

      “Could be, I mean he hasn’t been back in a while now.”

 

      Colin soon got on my dads only chair in the apartment.

 

      “So you're going to be borrowing my dads chair?” I asked.

 

      “Well, I’m exhausted, so yeah. You should get some sleep too Shades. Wouldn’t want Bigby to catch you up so late. I mean you’ve got work tomorrow.”

 

      “Yeah, you're right.” I told him, “Night Colin.”

 

      And just like that Colin was now passed out on the chair. I stretched my arms and let out a yawn. But instead of going to my room, I decided to continue to read my book, eventually I fell asleep.

 

* * *

   - ** _Awhile Later; Around 2 A.M_** -

 

      ( ** _Narrator’s P.O.V_** )

 

      This night turned out to be a hell of a ride for Bigby. He had gotten complaint from Mr. Toad about Woody but when he confronted the bastard he ended up flying out of a window. He just thanked god that it was only a two-story building. Now the only thing he wanted is just two seconds of shuteye, that's all he wanted just a moment of peace.

 

      As he walked to the entrance he heard the sound of branches snapping. Turning to the right he saw a person, a woman from what he could tell quickly hid herself behind a tree.

 

      "Don't make me come over there." Bigby said with a glare.

 

      The person didn't seem to respond.

 

      “Look, I’ve got an hour paperwork ahead of me, and I had to deal with one asshole for tonight so-”

 

      He was soon cut off when he saw a familiar face wearing a red jacket high heels and leggings which was a friend of his Beauty.

 

      “Sorry Bigby.” She said, “Didn’t mean to be an asshole.”

 

      “Beauty.” Was his own way of saying “Hello”.

 

      “Hello Bigby.” She replied as she stepped off the grass, “I wasn’t expecting anyone tonight, and I know this looks a little… Well odd.”

 

      Bigby raised an eyebrow, “Why did you hide?” He asked out of curiosity.

 

      “Well, I didn’t know who it was, you can’t be too careful these days.”

 

      “No, you can’t”

 

      Beauty looked at the time on her watch, “Damn it, I’m late.” She mumbled to herself.

 

      As she walked towards the gate, she stopped for a moment and turned to Bigby, “Please Bigby. Promise you won’t tell Beast that you saw me.” She said to him, “It’s bad enough that he worries about Garry working on cases with you, but it would just make my life a lot easier for me so…”

 

      Her words began to trail off, as Bigby thought of what to do. He has known Beauty and her husband Beast since they came to Fabletown and they’ve been really good friends since they moved from the Homelands. It is true that Beast has been worried about his wife, but lately he’s become even more worried since his adoptive son who is working part time at the office often going in the front lines in the case.

 

      Eventually Bigby had an answer for Beauty, “Sure.” Was all he said.

 

      Beauty looked at him, confused since normally Bigby wouldn’t agree to things such as this, “You promise?” She asked just to be sure.

 

      “Yeah, I promise.” Bigby had replied to her.

 

      She let out a smile to Bigby knowing that she could trust him, “Thank you Bigby.”

 

      “I’ll explain it all to you. I promise, but right now I have to go.” She opened the gate and walked out of the property of the Woodlands.

 

      Once more she turned to him and said, “Thanks again Bigby. For trusting me really.”

 

      Than she simply walked away.

 

      After checking for mail he had called the elevator. Once the elevator arrived Beauty’s husband had come down the stairs and saw Bigby entering.

 

      “Bigby wait up!” Beast said as he stopped the doors from closing, “Have you seen my wife? Have you seen Beauty?”

 

      At first Bigby didn’t answer which had only got him concerned, “So have you?”

 

      “Nope haven’t seen her.” Bigby had simply replied

 

      “Oh.” Beast had said, “I see, sorry to bother you.”

 

      The doors closed as he saw Beast walk away.

 

      He arrived at his small apartment of 204, finding Shadow asleep at the table with a book in his hand.

 

      “He stayed up late again? Guess he got concerned.”

 

      Putting the book to the side, he proceeded to carry him to his room. He carefully placed him on the bed carefully, and Shadow just subconsciously made himself comfortable on the bed.

 

      Bigby just shook his head and said, “Teenagers...”

 

      After turning on the fans he walked out of his room and closed it shut; then he proceeded to wash away the fresh blood off of his face, not wanting his adoptive son to see it, since he can get even more worried.

 

      It has already been 9 years since he decided to take Shadow in. He was only five when he found him in Fabletown, and like other children he is an unknown Fable. Actually, he didn’t find him as a human, he found him as an animal.

 

      But not just any animal, but a wolf like himself. The poor kid had approached him and Snow with an injury on the head. Any person would have mistaken him for a mutt and not even bother helping him, but Bigby knew better, just by his scent he was able to tell he was a wolf.

 

      When he had encountered him however, he acted more of an animal than he did a person. The kid was able to change into a human the minute he had fallen asleep, however he didn’t remember that he came to Bigby for help when he was in distress.

 

      He and Snow called Dr. Swineheart; When he had checked the child he had told Bigby & Snow that the boy had suffered post-traumatic amnesia due to the wound he had taken on his head. The only thing he could remember was his name and that he was an unknown Fable. They kept the fact that he was wolf a secret from him, and everyone else they knew (Except for Colin since he was there when Swineheart checked him).

 

      And now here he was, now a fourteen year old teen, working in at the office with him, sometimes getting himself in trouble if he decides (Which is a lot) to take a case on his own no matter how dangerous the case was, even if it was life threatening like the Woodsman.

      

      He went to go sit in his chair but instead he found Colin laying there sleeping for god knows how long.

 

      “Hey Colin, get up.” He said as he poked him.

 

      Colin awoke and picked up his head, “Hey Bigby.” He said.

 

      Bigby shot a glare at him.

 

      “I’m in your chair huh?” He asked him.

 

      “I’ve only got the one, so yeah.” Bigby replied to the pig.

 

      Colin moved off his chair and went to laid across from him. Bigby sat as he got himself cigarette.

 

      Colin had asked, “Got a smoke?”

 

      As he got himself a cigarette and then he gave Colin one and lit it for him.

 

      “Thanks.” He said, “Couple a thousand more of these and we’ll be even on that house you owe me.”

 

      Bigby picked up his beer bottle and realized that it was empty. He got up to get another.

 

      “This has gotta stop.” Bigby said to him, “You can’t keep sneaking off the Farm like this.”  

 

      Colin had followed close behind him to the kitchen.

 

      “The sunshine and fresh air they sell is just a bunch of bull shit.” Colin started to say, “I didn’t escape from the Homelands just to end up in some prison. Don’t send me back there Bigby. You don’t know what it’s like okay, you’ve never been there.”

 

      Bigby got himself a beer in a cup for himself and turned back to Colin, “Come on, that’s a bit dramatic.”

 

      “Funny, Shades said the same thing to me.” Colin had said.

 

      “Did he now?” He said, taking a sip from his drink.

 

      Colin soon eyed the cup, “That for me?”

 

      “Nope.” Bigby had said immediately and as he walked past him.

 

      Colin soon had said, “Look, the house didn’t blow itself down Bigby. That’s all I’m saying. Do what you will it’s reason enough. Now I’m not saying that it’s reason enough to have definitely offer me a drink but… It might’ve help ease some of the pain that you once caused me yes?”

 

      Bigby just took a sip from the cup and then turned to Colin.

 

      “Nice.” He said with sarcasm, “I take it all back. THIS is why everyone hates you.”

 

      “It is better to be feared than loved.” Bigby quoted, “You know who said that?”

 

      “Yeah some sad asshole.” Colin replied, earning him yet another glare from Bigby, “Eating alone.”

 

      As Colin followed him back into the living room he continued, “Well maybe hate’s not the right word. They fear you more than they hate, I mean you did eat a lot of people back in your day.”

 

      “I thought we were all supposed to have a fresh start here.” Bigby said as he took another sip, “I can’t change the past.”

 

      “Yeah, well you can’t change people’s memories either.” The pig had told him, “I’m not saying that it’s fair, but it’s real. People are afraid of you, I mean look at your hands.”

 

      Colin of course was referring to the blood that was on his knuckles.

 

      “Who’d you get into a fight with? Surely you’re not going around punching mundies.”

 

      “I was doing my job believe or not.”

 

      Colin gave him a look, “Your job is to beat the shit out of Fables?”

 

      “Well, sometimes, I take them to the Farm.”

 

      Colin gave him a glare and said only one thing to him, “Fuck. You.”

 

      Soon enough Bigby sat down in his only chair, “You think my job is easy?” Bigby had said, “You try keeping a bunch of Fables from killing each other. I mean how do you think this all works?”

 

      Colin had assumed the same position that he was before, “Yeah how?”

 

      “By being big. And being bad.” The Sheriff simply replied.

 

      “By being big and being bad.” Colin repeated, “Don’t say that shit in front of people. It’s embarrassing, because that’s the attitude that get’s you into trouble. I’m sure your shitty to everyone you come across.”

 

      “Not everyone.” Bigby said.

 

      “Name one.”

 

      “You know who Colin. My son, Shadow.”

 

      “Even though biologically he’s not really your kid?”

 

      “Yeah.”

 

      The two had silence within the room. Eventually Colin had said, “Life’s easier with friends you know? And we live a long fucking time. I mean, take a page from Shades book, he’s got friends that care about him and he treats them, as if he they were his second family, so his life has been easy for nine years. I know you like this whole lone wolf thing, but I’ve seen the way you look at Snow; you're not fooling me.”

 

      “Will you shut up?”

 

      “Well maybe if my throat wasn’t so parched, I still wouldn’t be talking.”

      

      “Wait, that doesn’t make any-”

 

      “Just give me a drink please!”

 

      “Look, I’m tired as hell, I flew out a two story window. All I want is to get just two seconds of shut eye before I-”

 

      Once again, there was nothing but silence between the two. Bigby heaved out a sigh and asked, “Look, if I give you this will you let me sleep?”

 

      “Yeah, probably.” Colin replied.

 

      The Sheriff shook his head as he got up and bought the drink over to Colin and placed it beside him.

 

      “Thanks Bigby.” He said. He stood up on his four legs and began to drink.

 

      Bigby went back to his chair and finally got himself some shut-eye.

 

* * *

 

- ** _December 1st, 1977_ _(9 Years Ago)_** -

 

_The coldest year in winter. Sometimes Bigby couldn’t really take the coldness, but anything was better than a muggy summer day. He smoked his cigarette as he waited for Snow to finish her business in a candy store._

_Tomorrow was the day to which Snow was going to see and legally be a new mother. She had filled out the papers to adopt a sweet little girl named Maria, an unknown Fable like some of the kids._

_She stepped out of the bakery, with two caramel apples in the brown paper bag._

_“Sorry to keep you waiting.” She said to Bigby, “The line was a lot longer than I thought.”_

_“It’s fine. The wait wasn’t long anyway.” He replied as he got rid of his cigarette._

_They started to walk down the block back to the Woodlands Apartment, since it wasn’t to far from where they were._

_“So that girl Maria likes apples?” He asked Snow._

_“Yeah.” She replied, “She told me she always wanted to try a caramel apple. I thought it would be a great welcome present.”_

_“And you still sure it’s a good idea to bring a kid to the Woodlands? I mean I don’t want you to get in trouble with Crane.”_

_“As I told you before, it’ll be fine. Besides, there are children that need a family, especially the unknown Fable children.”_

_“I know that. I’m not saying it’s bad thing to have kids in the Woodlands but what I do know is that you’ll be a great mom.”_

_Snow let out a smile, “Thanks Bigby. You know you should think about adopting too. I bet you would do good as a dad.”_

_“What me?” He asked, “No I couldn’t Snow. Besides, I already got enough on my plate as it is.”_

_“I know, but still. It could be a good experience for you.”_

_“Right I’ll believe that when-”_

_He soon stopped walking when he felt something tugging on his pants._

_“Bigby what’s-” Snow let out a gasp at what she saw tugging his pants, “Oh my god...”_

_Bigby looked down to see a little pup, with black and red fur. The pup appeared to be whimpering in distress and pain. The pup’s head was covered with blood and by the look of it he was tired, probably running for days. Bigby picked up his scent and was shocked to find out what the pup was._

_“This poor dog...” Snow said, “What could’ve happened to him?”_

_“He’s not a dog.” Bigby said picking up the little pup realizing that his belly had white fur, “He’s a wolf.”_

_“A wolf?!” Snow said, almost yelling, “But I thought that you were the only-?”_

_“I know.” He said cutting her off, “I thought that too.”_

_He realized how cold the wolf pup was, and wrapped him in his coat._

_“We should take him back to the Woodlands. I mean we can’t just leave him out here in the cold.”_

_“My thoughts exactly.” Bigby said, “Come on.”_

_They got back to the Woodlands apartment without being seen by anyone. Bigby placed the little pup in spare bedroom, and on the bed. He pat the little pup on the head to comfort the little one; just to help ease the pain. Snow soon started pet the little pup as well but on the stomach. It was only than they realized how tiny he was._

_“God... He’s so small and fragile.” Snow said, “I wonder what could’ve happened to him?”_

_“If he’s this small, he’s probably the weakest pup in the litter.” Bigby replied, “But that doesn’t explain this wound on his head, or how he got here in the first place.”_

_His hand flinched when the little pup started to lick his fingers._

_Snow let out a small smile, “I think that’s his way of saying thanks.” She said to him. The pup stopped licking when Bigby pulled his hand away. The pup slowly shut his eyes and went to sleep. Bigby placed the large sheets since it was the only thing he could find and they left him within the room to rest._

_“I didn’t think there would even be another wolf.” Snow had said to Bigby, “I thought the only wolf was you in the Homelands.”_

_“I know.” Bigby said while scratching the back of his head, “That’s what I thought as well.”_

_“You don’t think, that pup could be a Fable?”_

_“It’s hard to say. I mean there haven’t any new Fables since we were exiled from the Homelands.”_

_“The pup is definitely not like Colin or Mr. Toad.”_

_“Yeah, if he was, he would’ve started to talk to us by now.”_

_“What do you think we should do?”_

_“Well, I know one thing we can’t do. We can’t tell Crane or Mayor Cole about this.”_

_“Normally I wouldn’t keep anything from him, but considering the situation yeah, we can’t tell him.”_

_Just than another voice came into the mix. “Can’t tell them about what?”_

_They turned to see Colin, who had yet again, had snuck off the Farm, again._

_“Colin!” They both said._

_“What are you guys talking about anyway?” He asked._

_Bigby turned to Snow. She just sighed and let out nodded to her, as if to say, “Tell him Bigby”._

_“We found an injured wolf pup in the streets.” Bigby said._

_“Another wolf?” Colin said, “Geez, as if the two weren’t enough.”_

_“It’s not like that!” Snow immediately said, “He acted more like an animal than he did a person.”_

_“Did he? Well where is he?” He asked._

_“The spare bedroom.” Bigby replied._

_Colin went to go see for himself, but when he took a peek, he got a surprise. “Hey, uh you guys said he was a little wolf pup, right?”_

_Bigby gave a quizzical expression to Snow and she just shrugged her shoulders. “Yeah why?”_

_Colin turned and asked, “So then how come the wolf is a kid now?”_

_“What?!” Both Snow and Bigby said in unison. They got over to the spare bedroom to find instead of the little wolf pup, there was now a five-year-old boy, with the same red and black hair that the wolf pup had. The wound that Bigby and Snow had found before was now in the middle of his forehead and now they saw that there were bruises on his face, including a black eye. Of course he had no clothes on what-so-ever, but luckily the large sheet that Bigby placed over him was covering his small body._

_Bigby and Snow pretty much had their mouths open at the fact that one minute there was a pup and the next minute there was now a human child in the bed._

_“Holy shi-”_

* * *

       Bigby had suddenly to a knock on the door. Thinking it was the girl he met before he got up from his chair and went to the door.

 

      Shadow soon emerged from his room with a bed head, and rubbing his eyes. “Dad? Who is that?” He asked all groggily.

 

      “I'm about to find out.” Bigby told him

 

He approached the door and fixed his tie. He opened the door and to his surprise, Snow was on the other side.

 

“Bigby!” She said.

 

“Snow?” Bigby replied.

 

“What the? Ms. White?” Shadow said, a bit more awake now, “What are you doing here?”

 

“Come with me, both of you!” She soon said.

 

Bigby followed Snow as well as Shadow. Snow had a panicked look on her face, looking around every corner to make sure they were the only ones in the hall.

 

“Snow.” The Sheriff called out. She didn’t respond in any way. He called her name again but this time a bit louder, “Snow!”

 

“What?!” She snapped leaving both him and Shadow in shock since they never heard Snow snap like that before. “I, um. Sorry.” She said to them, “What is it?” She asked them.

 

“Are you okay?” Bigby asked her.

 

“Yeah, you seem a little more stressed than usual.” Shadow added, “Did something happen?”

 

“I’m sorry you two. I just can’t get to it not right this second.” Snow told the both of them, “Besides these walls are paper thin, so we’ll talk about it outside.”

 

They soon got to the front entrance of the Woodlands apartments and they saw Snow’s adoptive daughter, Maria sitting outside just trembling.

“Maria!” Shadow had said as he ran ahead from the two. He opened the door letting Maria flinch, but soon calmed down when she realized it was just an old friend; Snow and Bigby had soon joined him, “Shadow, it’s you...” Was all she could say.

 

Shadow had kneeled down to her level, “Maria, are you okay? What happened?”

 

Maria soon pointed to a jacket covering something on the steps of the Woodlands. Shadow left Maria’s side and went towards to whatever was under the jacket. He was about to removed but instead Bigby stopped him, and he in turn removed the jacket.

 

Shadow and Bigby both let out a gasped and there eyes widened in horror when they saw a head of a young Fable.


	2. Chapter 2

- ** _Tenement Building; Hours earlier_** -

 

_It was just another normal night in Fabletown, at least it would be a certain sheriff. Bigby had gotten a complaint about the Woodsman, or as others like to call him Woody. Everyone that lived in the building pretty much said he’s been an asshole the day he moved in._

_A lot of the people well pretty much the whole building hates the guy, and it ‘s not often that Brigby get’s all kinds of complaints about him._

_He entered the Tenement Building only to find the person who called which was Mr. Toad not in human form._

_“Mr. Toad.” He greeted._

_“Oh shit.” Mr. Toad had mumbled. He then turned to the Sheriff, “Bigby! Listen mate, I know I don’t look human. It’s a problem I get it, I just stepped out of the apartment for just a second to see what kind of damage this drunk shit has been doing. Just cut me a break yeah? I’ll get me glamour first thing in the morning.”_

_“I’ve heard enough of your excuses  Toad.” Bigby simply stated, “This is unacceptable. If you can’t afford any glamour, than your going to the Farm it’s as simple as that.”_

_“You can’t send me up to live with those animals…” Mr. Toad had said_

_All Bigby did was just give him a look. Causing Mr. Toad to shout, “You know what I mean!”_

_“Go see a witch. Get a glamour.” Bigby had told him._

_Mr. Toad had replied, “Bigby! They’re bleeding me dry mate! The quality of the spells keep going down but the rates keep climbing up! I mean do you have any idea how much it cost to have an entire family glamoured?!”_

_“I don’t make the rules Toad. Sorry.”_

_Just as they finished their conversation, an air conditioner suddenly fell from two-story window. “Fucking hell!” Mr. Toad cried out, “See, this is what I called you about Sheriff!”_

_“So what set him off?” Bigby had asked him_

_“Who knows what it was this time.” Mr. Toad had replied, “Man’s got a hair trigger. I avoid him as much as possible.”_

_“When did he start drinking?”_

_“I’m not sure he ever stopped.”_

_Over the commotion, they heard another voice this time a woman who had shouted, “ **FUCK YOU!** ”_

_“I didn’t know any else was up there!” Mr. Toad had told Bigby._

_Bigby disposed of the cigarette, “Alright, I’m heading up.” He said._

_“Oh thank you Sheriff!” Mr. Toad said as Bigby walked past him._

_With that the Sheriff  went upstairs. He soon approached the apartment which belonged to Woody . He heard overlapping voices which belonged to the woman he had heard earlier and of course Woody._

_He kicked the door down only to find a young woman having short black hair, green eyes, wearing a purple ribbon around her neck, a sleeveless green shirt, with a tight skirt, heel, and bruises on her face and arm getting slapped by Woody._

_“ **WOAH! WOAH! WOAH! HEY! HEY!** ” He shouted as he charged at Woody, pinning him to the wall._

_“You got something on your face.” The girl with the ribbon said to Woody._

_Woody turned to the girl, “The fuck are you talking about you stupid-”_

_He was then cut off when she suddenly spit blood on his face._

_“I’ll fucking kill you!” Woody had shouted._

_“Alright! Why’d you hit her!?” Bigby shouted, before Woody hit him with his own head. The impact had caused Bigby to back up a good feet away from Woody. He wiped the fresh blood from his nose._

_“What are you going to fuckin do huh?!” Woody said with a drunken tone in his voice, “Get the fuck out of the way before you get the axe again!”_

_“Woody!” Bigby said, “This is your last warning. If you keep up like this I’ll have no choice but to put you down.”_

_“Put **ME** down? You forget wolf! That’s not how it went last time!”_

_“This isn’t **LAST TIME**.”_

_Just like that they had both entered into a brawl. Bigby ended up shoving Woody into his couch, to the sink, and towards the spring bed which contained no mattress. Eventually Bigby shoved him over to the bookshelf where his AX had laid. Woody picked up the axe and tried to take a swing at him, but missed and instead the axe was stuck on the floor. Bigby grabbed Woody’s axe and used the back of the axe to hit Woody in the jaw; the impact caused Woody’s jaw to dislocate._

_He fell to the ground hard, and Bigby threw his  axe to the side. He then turned to the girl with ribbon, “You should probably get out of here.”_

_The girl with the ribbon replied, “Look, I’m not leaving until I get what’s mine.”_

_Woody started to speak, but his speech was a mess, “Yer nod gedding shid, bidch. Aisle fuhged yew in de ground.”_

_“Hey! If you can’t be nice, I’m going to have to make you wait outside.” Bigby said to Woody._

_“Fughed shid…” Woody said feeling his jaw, “Yew bogue buy jaw, yew badturd…”_

_“And still you talk.”_

_“Fughed… Yew…”_

_Bigby went over to the girl with the ribbon. She was looking in a small hand mirror to see how bad she got it._

_Bigby then asked her, “What are you doing here anyway?”_

_“These lips are sealed.” She replied._

_After a short time there was silence within the room. The girl with the ribbon soon put her compact ribbon away, “Look this is just the start of a shitty night.” She said, “I just need the money he owes and than I’ll be outta here.”_

_“Why was he hitting you?” Bigby asked her._

_“You should probably ask him that.” She said._

_“I know.” He replied, “But I asked you first.”_

_At first she didn’t say anything however after a short time, she had replied, “He asked me if I recognized him... Knew who he was... I said I didn’t. He started beating on me. Than you showed up and started beating on him. That about cover it hon?”_

_She had turned her attention to Woody._

_“I’b Duh Woodsman, yoo hoar...” Woody started to say as he eventually got his own jaw fixed, “Aye saveed liddle reed riding hood frum this... monster... I cut dis figger oben... and filled hids belly full of... stones... A **ND THREW HIM IN THE FUCKING RIVER**. That’s who I fucking am, you stupid bitch!”_

_“ **HEY!** What did I say!?! I said be nice... or you wait out...side!” Bigby shouted as he charged him once again._

_The next thing Bigby knew he and Woody were shot out of the two-story window. He found himself on top of a now crushed car._

_Bigby awoke looking straight up at the night sky. He did his best to pick himself up, and he found Woody on the concrete floor, passed out._

_“Ah shit…” Bigby said._

_He soon sensed the presence of another person as laid back down on the car. “Hey Toad…” He said turning to him._

_“My… car…” Mr. Toad said._

_“Yeah.” Bigby said, “Gimme a second.”_

_“Oh no by all means… Take your time.” Mr. Toad said sarcastically, “Make yourself comfortable. Can I get you anything? A pillow perhaps.”_

_Bigby turned his head to Mr. Toad, “Sorry about the car… We ended up going out the window. Couldn’t be avoided.”_

_Mr. Toad replied, “I can’t be mad at you… I called you… and you come to help… I can’t be mad. But even when you come to help… Things end up more fucked than they started.”_

_A shadow soon clouded the both of them. “Well at least your not fucking dead.” Mr. Toad said._

_Bigby picked up his head again, only to find Woody dragging him off the car and then pinned him to a sign started to choke him. Bigby did his best to get Woody off of him, but he had no such luck._

_Woody began to shout, “I know your fucking in their! Come on out you dog! I’ll put you out of your misery! You fucking mongrel… **COME ON OUT WOLF!** ”_

_Bigby’s eyes changed from brown to a yellowish green color. But before he could change, Woody suddenly felt an axe  get stuck in his head. He fell over releasing Bigby, and his savoir turned out to be the girl with the ribbon. She then approached Woody and started to search his pockets._

_“What are you doing?” Bigby asked her._

 

_“I’m just getting what he owes.” She replied, “You alright back their? I mean your eyes and teeth, they aren’t supposed to do that right?”_

_“Not if I can avoid it.” Bigby replied._

_She got out of Woody’s pocket, two quarters and a dime, leaving her in disappointment. “Great.” She said as she threw the money to the ground._

_She then got up and started to kick Woody._

_“The guy’s got an axe  in his brain. He won’t be feeling that.” Bigby told her._

_“It’s more for me.” The girl with the ribbon said, “He’ll be fine.”_

_Woody started to move around, “Aislle kill yew. Yew fuckin’ bidch.” He said with his  speech slurred once again._

_“Let me help you.” The girl with the ribbon said, starting to push the axe  deeper into his  skull._

_Bigby pulled her off, “He’s had enough.” He told her._

_“He’s a Fable.” She replied, “Son-of-a-bitch can take plenty.”_

_She got her purse and began to walk away._

_After Bigby pulled the axe  out of Woody’s head, he noticed that she was trying to light her cigarette._

_“Shit… Just come on.” She mumbled trying her best to light her cigarette._

_“Here, let me.” Bigby had said. He took out his lighter. With the cigarette in her mouth she leaned forward towards the small flame, and thus the cigarette was lit._

_“Thanks.” She said after taking a puff._

_Silence came between them once more until Bigby had asked her, “Who do you work for really?”_

_The girl with the ribbon let out a sigh and then said to him, “These lips are sealed… Sorry.”_

_She leaned back on the wall and she decided to getting him off the topic, “Hey, you… Like my ribbon?”_

_“If you don’t answer questions, I can’t help you.” Bigby told her._

_“I’m answering them, the best I can.” She simply replied._

_“That’s strange.”_

_“What is?”_

_“I… I feel like we’ve met before.”_

_“We probably have. We all sort of knew each other at one point or another… But things change I guess.”_

_“I guess.”_

_Bigby turned only to find that Woody was now gone; There was nothing but a blood splattered. Bigby snarled as he said, “Shit…”_

_He was about to go find Woody when the girl with ribbon stopped him. “Don’t. We don’t have to make any more of a thing out of it than it already is.”_

_“He hit you.” Bigby said, “He needs to pay for it.”_

_“He’s got nothing to give,Sheriff  I checked.” She said to him, “Besides, I just swung an axe  in the guy’s head. I’d say we’re even.”_

_“Maybe I should be arresting you.”_

_“I’m not be going to this for very long, so now’s your chance.”_

_They both turned away from each other now having an awkward silence between them. “How much was it he owed you?” Bigby eventually asked._

  
_“A hundred.” She replied_

_“I’m guessing it would be bad if you were to show up empty handed?”_

_The girl with the ribbon turned to him and smiled, “I’ll be fine.”_

_“I wish I could help.”  He said to her rubbing the back of his head._

_“It’s okay. I’ll be fine. Really.” She said to him, still with her smile, which had soon faded, “You got me out of a bad situation back there… Thanks.”_

_“I’m still gonna need a statement.”_

_“I have to go drop off… What I have.”_

_“Meet me back at my office then.”_

_“It’s a little late for an office visit Sheriff. I’ll just swing by your apartment.”_

_“Wait how do you-”_

_“You and your son live in the smallest apartment in the Woodlands. Everyone knows that.”_

_“That’s… Good to know.”_

_“You should get cleaned up. You look like shit. And I don’t use that term lightly. Some of these look pretty bad.”_

_“That’s a little on the harsh side.”_

_“Hey, I tell it like it is… When I can.”_

_She stared at the ground, however she looked nervous this time which left Bigby puzzled. “Hey, I need to tell you something…” She said to him._

_“What is it?” He had asked._

_She leaned closer to his ear and whispered, “You’re not as bad as everyone says you are.” She placed a kiss on his cheek.  She walked down the sidewalk and into the darkness she had said too as she waved._

_“I’ll see you around… Wolf.”_

* * *

 

- ** _Present; Front Entrance Woodlands Apartment_** -

 

Bigby was honestly shocked to find the girl’s head right at their doorstep. He could help but feel sympathy for her that she had suffered a fate that was worse than death. When she had said to him, “I won’t be doing this for long” He didn’t think this is what she had meant.

 

His son, Shadow was also shocked since this was the first dead victim he had seen. He had felt everything in his stomach come up through his throat and towards his mouth just by the sight of the head. He ran to the bushes and everything just came out through his mouth.

 

Maria ran to his side, and started to rub his back, “Are you okay?” She had asked him.

 

Shadow coughed up the last of it and turned to her. “Yeah, I’m fine.” He said, wiping the last of gunk from his mouth, “It just… Scared me, that’s all.”

 

As he got on his feet, he noticed, Bigby just staring at the head in disbelief; His eyes filled with sympathy.  

 

“Dad?” He said walking over to his side, “What’s wrong?”

 

No answer came from the Sheriff.

 

“Did you know this girl?” Snow had asked, “She’s… Not a Mundy, right?”

 

Bigby shook his head.

 

“Than… Who was she?” Maria asked.

 

“She is… Was a prostitute.” He had replied.

 

All three of their eyes had widened in shock. “She… Was?” Shadow had said; Bigby had nodded. “How do you know that?” Snow asked him.

 

Bigby started to explain.

 

“The Woodsman. He attacked her and I stepped in. Then he threatened to kill us both.”

 

“The Woodsman?” Shadow said, “That person Mr. Toad called you about tonight?”

 

Bigby nodded to him once again.

 

“No…” Maria started to say, “Mr. Wolf, I know that Woody doesn’t like you, or some others for that matter, but… You don’t think… He…”

 

“I don’t think anything yet.” Bigby had simply stated, “Just give me a second.”

 

Bigby took a moment to look at what was before him, and gathered his thoughts.

 

“Who found her here anyway?” Shadow asked Snow.

 

“I did.” Maria had replied, “She was just like this when I found her; I didn’t touch her. I managed to grab a hold of Grimble’s jacket then I went to tell mom. Than she came to get you guys.”

 

“Did you see anyone else?” Bigby had asked her.

 

Maria shook her head.

 

“No Mundy’s, or cab maybe?”

 

“No. At least I don’t think so.”

 

“Okay.”

 

“Bigby…” Snow started to say, “Do you think one of us did this?”

 

“There hasn’t been a murder in Fabletown in a long time.” Bigby had replied

 

“All the more reason we shouldn’t start a panic until we know what exactly is going on.” Snow had said.

 

“Yeah.” Shadow replied, “I could just imagine how Fables would react if they saw a thing like this.”

 

“It would scare them, that’s for sure.” Maria had added.

 

Snow soon noticed a couple of Fables walking across the street; Snow couldn’t tell, but she might’ve seen them look in their direction. “Have a look around.” Snow said to them, “We don’t have much time before people start coming through here.”

 

“Got it.” Shadow replied, “I’ll check to see if there's anything around the building.”

 

“I’ll go help him.” Maria told Snow. With that they both went to the right side of the building while Bigby continued to examine the head, after shutting the girl’s eyes.

 

Bigby first took a look at the position of the head, then he turned to Snow and told her, “She was placed here with some care.”  

 

“What do you mean?” She asked.

 

“You can see someone didn’t just toss her here.” He replied, “She was deliberately placed here… For us to find.”

 

“What kind of monster would do something like this?”

 

As Bigby continued to examine the head, Shadow and Maria were looking around to see if their was any kind of connection to who had brought her to the Woodlands. So far they had managed to find dry blood which appeared to be their for about an hour or so.

 

They had soon found something else as well.

 

“Shadow, come look at this.” Maria had called out.

 

“What is it?” Shadow asked her, rushing to her side when he had stopped following the trail of blood.

 

Maria showed Shadow a piece of fabric, which appeared to be from a pair of jeans.

 

“Yup, this from jeans alright.” Shadow had said as he took the fabric from Maria’s hand.

 

“It’s definitely not from the type that Garry wears.” Maria had said.

 

“Yeah you're right.” He had said, “We better save it. It might come in handy for the others later.”

 

He placed the fabric in his pocket and they started to follow the blood trail again.

 

With Bigby after he had examined the cut from the girl’s shortened neck and concluded that it was either something sharp or magic attached, he noticed something in the girl’s mouth.

 

“What the?” Bigby said to himself.

 

He reached into the girl’s mouth and pulled out a purple ribbon.

 

“What is it?” Snow asked him.

 

“It’s her ribbon, and ring.” He replied, “There is some kind of symbol here.”

 

Snow looked at the symbol with curiosity, “I… I don’t recognize that symbol.”

 

“Dad!” They heard Shadow shout.

 

“Mom! Mr. Wolf!” They heard Maria shout soon after he did.

 

“What is it?” Snow had asked.

 

“We found some blood on the fence.” Shadow said with a now lowered voice. Bigby got up and followed them to the fence. Up on the fence the pickets were covered with blood. Bigby felt the blood with his finger and found out that the blood was fresh.

 

“Do you think someone could've bought that girl here?” Shadow had asked him.

 

Bigby scratched his chin, and said nothing to him at first. He had soon replied, “It’s most likely that kind of assumption.”

 

“Why would someone do something this to a person?” Maria had said.

 

Bigby didn’t answer her question right away, instead he said to the two, “Come on, let’s get back to Snow.”

 

They went to Snow and Shadow and Maria told her of their findings, including the jean fabric they found earlier.

 

Snow then turned to the girls head and said to them, “We should… Move her… Before anyone shows up.”

 

“But mom.” Maria said, “What about-”

 

“Don’t worry Maria.” Snow said to her, “We’ll find out who she is at the Business Office. She’ll be in the books, I’m sure.”

 

Shadow to Bigby and asked, “Do you have any idea what’s going on dad? I mean what is this supposed to be exactly?”

 

“Yeah.” Maria had said, “How in the world did this happen?”

 

“This is a message.” Bigby replied to the both of them.

 

“A message?” Snow said, “I don’t know. I mean, I get complaints at the office all the time, but…”

 

Bigby had continued.

 

“Whoever did this wasn’t exactly hiding it. The placement of the head… It’s exact. Purposeful. She was placed here precisely for us to find. All of us.”

 

Snow nodded in agreement, “Yes, I guess your right.”

 

“Yeah.” Shadow said, “Who ever did this wanted us to know what he or she did.”

 

Bigby took another look at the girl’s head, still couldn’t help but feel sympathetic and guilt.

 

“You know that I’m going to have to tell Crane about this.” Snow had said to them.

 

Shadow turned to Snow, “Do you have to tell him?”

 

“Look Shadow.” She said to him, “As long as King Cole is gone he’ll be acting as Mayor. You have to understand, that we can’t anything from him especially things such as this. So he needs to know”

 

“Yeah but-”

 

Shadow was cut off by Maria when she had said to him, “Mom’s got a point. We can’t keep things like this a secret. Besides, it wouldn’t be right.”

 

“I know you and Bigby have your… History with him. But he is going to find out anyway, so we might as well get it out in front of him.” Snow said, “Do you understand?”

 

Shadow let a sigh and just turned away from Snow.

 

Bigby had then said to Snow, “We should wait until we have more to tell him. Right now all we know is a girl is dead. Telling Crane doesn’t change that.”

 

“That’s exactly what I was thinking.” Shadow said, “I mean, we’ve got the motivation to find out who did this to the poor girl.”

 

Snow gave an unsure look to the both of them as did Maria.

 

“That sounds reasonable, but…” Snow said, “I don’t know. I’ll think about it.”

 

“I just don’t want him to interfere.” Bigby said to her, “That’s all.”

 

“Crane’s not what’s important right now.” Snow said before ascending the steps, “We need to figure out who this girl is so we can find whoever did this.”

 

“So than the next order of business would be to get her to Swineheart, correct?” Shadow had asked her.

 

“My thoughts exactly.” Snow had said to him, “Come on Maria.”

 

“See you at the office Shadow.” Maria said still with a terrified look in her eyes.

 

“Feel better.” Shadow had said.

 

Maria had nodded her to him and let out a small smile, and Snow took her inside and back to her apartment.

 

He then turned to Bigby, “Dad…” He started to say, “If she really was a prostitute than do you think her pimp could’ve done this?”

 

“What do you mean exactly?” Bigby asked him as he covered the girl’s head with Grimble’s jacket.

 

“I mean, I’ve read it in the Book of Crime once.” Shadow had replied, “There are many reasons to why a person would kill someone.  One of them is if the person for whatever reason didn’t give him the money. I mean it is just a theory… but do you think it could it?”

 

With the jacket now covering the head, Bigby picked it up and wrapped good and tight with the jacket making it look like it was a ball.

 

When Bigby thought about what Shadow had said, he had to admit, it could be possible. She did tell him that she owed her boss one hundred dollars, but she didn’t have that kind of amount of money on her to begin with.

 

In fact the more he thought about the theory, the more it made sense. Even if they did have a motive, and at suspects but it still raises the question.

 

Was their more of a reason to kill the girl?

 

“We’ll talk about it in the morning.” Bigby told him, gently pushing towards the door, “Right now, it’s way past your curfew.”

 

“What do I look like, a five-year-old?” He asked the Sheriff.

 

With that the two went back into the Woodlands.


	3. Chapter 3

- ** _Nine Years Ago,  Woodlands Apartment 204_** -

_After the boy with red and black hair woke up, Snow and Bigby were surprised when that he  did not remember that he went to them for help when he was in pain. They had found him something to wear, which was one of his shirts for now and they had called Doctor Swineheart. They had already told Swineheart that they found him as a wolf, but he doesn’t know that he is one._

__

_He had treated the wound on his head and looked at the bruises, and he was in the middle of checking reflexes; Taking a small flashlight he shined in only his right eye, “Follow the light.” He told the young boy._

__

_The boy did what he was told. His eye moved as Swineheart moved with the flashlight._

__

_“Can you tell me your name son?” Swineheart had asked as he continued testing his reflexes._

__

_“Shadow.” The boy replied, “Just Shadow.”_

__

_“And are you a Fable or a Mundy?”_

__

_“I am a Fable sir.”_

__

_“Do you remember how you got these wounds?”_

__

_The boy named Shadow shook his head._

__

_“Do you remember how you got here in Fabletown?”_

__

_He shook his head once again._

__

_"So your name and the fact that you're a Fable is all you can remember?"_

__

_Shadow had nodded his head to him this time; Swineheart put away his equipment and said, “Will you excuse me?”_

__

_Shadow nodded his head to him again and Swineheart left the spare room and went to Snow and Bigby._

__

_“Well? Anything wrong with the kid?” Bigby asked the Doctor._

__

_Swineheart had replied calmly, “Well he’ll be fine in a matter of speaking.” Snow and Bigby looked at each other for only a moment. “What do you mean by… in a matter of speaking?” Snow had asked him. “I’m afraid due to the injury he has on his head the boy has suffered post traumatic amnesia.”_

__

_There eyes had widened at what Swineheart had just told them, “He… Has amnesia?” Snow had said._

__

_“I’m afraid so.” Swineheart had told them._

__

_“God-damn it…” Bigby mumbled, “So not only can’t he remember what he saw and did when he was a wolf or for that matter that he IS, but he can’t remember a damn thing about his life?”_

__

_“He only remembers his name, and that he’s a Fable.” Swineheart had said, “Other than that, he can’t remember anything else, or how he received those injuries."_

__

_“That’s just awful…” Snow had said, putting a hand over her mouth._

__

_Bigby paced in the room for a bit, “Isn’t there anything that we could do? To help him at least remember where he came from?”_

__

_“I’m afraid not Mr. Wolf.” Swineheart replied, “Post-traumatic amnesia is a very serious issue. The boy, Shadow may never be able to remember who he is and where exactly he came from. But perhaps, with the wounds he had received, it might be better if he doesn’t remember where he came from.”_

__

_“So what do you suggest exactly?” Snow asked him._

__

_“Just make sure the boy get’s plenty of rest, and get’s enough to eat.” Swineheart had said, “Because if what you said is true about him being the weakest pup, than he is going to need it. And under no circumstance he is not to know that he is wolf. It would most likely cause an unnecessary behavior if he were to know of it.”_

__

_“Alright, well thanks for coming here on short notice.” She said._

__

_“Your welcome. If you’ll excuse me, Ms. White, Mr. Wolf.” Swineheart said._

__

_And with that he took his leave._

__

_Bigby gave out a pained sigh as he sat in his chair and rubbed his face. Snow let out a sigh as well  and said to Bigby, “I wonder what could’ve happened to him… It’s not like that we can ask about where he came from.”_

__

_“No kidding…” Bigby had said to Snow, “So what do we do now?”_

__

_“Well, we can’t just send back to the streets.” Snow said, “Or to the orphanage for that matter.”_

__

_“Why not the orphanage?”_

__

_“Because when you send a kid there with no memory, they don’t treat you kindly.”_

__

_"So then who is going to take care of him?"_

__

_Snow then began to think, "Well let's see, Crane, and Bluebeard are out of the question, the Mayor is busy as it is so he has no time for children, Beauty and Beast have their hands full with Garry and Ib, Flycatcher can't do it because of the loss of his wife and child, and I don't think I could care for two children, hmm..."_

__

_She then turned to Bigby and said, "Maybe you can take care of him?"_

__

_Bigby nearly fell off his chair when she heard her say that to him._

__

_Him!? Out of all people him!? Taking care of a child?! She has gotta be joking._

__

_"Me?! Take care of him!?" Bigby questioned, "Snow I couldn't--"_

__

_"Well why not?" Snow said, "From where I'm standing I think you're quite capable raising a child like him, and who knows, you could inspire him to do such much good in Fabletown."_

__

_"But it's as I told you before Snow, I've got enough on my plate as it is!" Bigby replied._

__

_"I know you do Bigby." Snow said, "But understand this, he is only a child and he needs someone to look up to, not another that fears you, and I know a lot of people are scared because of your past."_

__

_Bigby just stayed silent and turned away from her as she continued, "Look at this child though, he basically lost his whole life. And who knows if he actually had a family or not. And with Fabletown the way it is, there are going to be a lot of things that are going to scare him and maybe even break him, but he needs to know that even if he goes through all of these things he needs to know that he won't be alone.”_

__

_In it tried to think of a counter argument but gave out a sigh of realization that Snow was right. He was just a kid and who knows what kind of life he had before. If anything he needed a father figure to look up to._

__

_Who no better than him?_

__

_Bigby then said to Snow, “Alright, I’ll see what I can do.”_

__

_“Thank you Bigby.” Snow said to him with a smile. She saw the time on her watch, “I’ve gotta go now, but I promise, I’ll help you in any way I can.”_

__

_“I appreciate that Snow.” Bigby said, smiling back at her._

__

_With that she left the apartment._

__

_Bigby soon went into the spare bedroom to go talk to the young boy Shadow._

__

_When he entered the room he found the boy just laying back on the pillow and head to the ceiling. He picked up his head to see who had entered the room. “Oh, it’s you again…” He said all tired like._

__

_“Yup, it’s me again.” Bigby had replied as he sat on the bed._

__

_“Where did that lady go?” He asked._

__

_“She had something to attend to. So she couldn’t stay here for long.” Bigby replied._

__

_“Oh, I see.” Shadow said before he tilted his head in curiosity._

__

_“What is it?” Bigby asked the boy._

__

_Shadow continued to stare at him before saying, “Have we met before? I think I’ve seen your face… but I just can’t figure out where.”_

__

_All Bigby did was shake his head, “This is actually the first time we’ve met.”_

__

_“Yeah your probably right.” Shadow had said, “I’m sorry, it’s just that I’m really confused right now so I’m sorry for asking.”_

__

_“Your name is Shadow right?”_

__

_“Yes.”_

__

_“Look Shadow, there's no reason for you to apologize. I know you're just confused and you have a lot of questions right now, but you shouldn’t worry too much on it.”_

__

_“I guess you are right about that mister. But I’m still thinking… Did I have a mom and a dad?"_

__

_“Maybe you do and maybe you don’t. I can’t lie to you, I’m not entirely sure myself no one is.”_

__

_“Oh…”_

__

_“But don’t worry… For now on I’ll be the one looking after you.”_

__

_“Really?”_

__

_“Yeah, so you’ll be stuck with me kid.”_

__

_Bigby patted the boy on the head as Shadow let out a small smile, “I guess that’s okay. I mean you did seem nice.” He said to him._

__

_“You have no idea.” Bigby had said not really making eye contact with him.._

__

_“So if I’m going to stay, then can you tell me your name. So that way we’re not strangers to each other.”_

__

_Bigby had simply replied to him, “My name is Bigby Wolf. And I’m the sheriff here in Fabletown.”_

* * *

- ** _Present; The Woodlands, Business Office_** -

It had only been a few hours since they found the head of a Fable, and yet it seemed like it had seemed just any other day at work, for the most part anyway. Bigby and Shadow were both walking towards the Business Office. As they both walked towards the entrance they passed a long line just standing there waiting to enter.

“Cranes been slacking off again.” Shadow whispered to Bigby.

“Just keep moving.” Bigby told him.

Before they could enter they heard someone say, “What’re blind? You two don’t see there’s a line?”

They turned to see a man that had stepped out of the line, a man named Grendel.

Bigby and Shadow are both familiar with Grendel, at least Shadow has just started to get to know him little by little. From what Bigby has been telling him Grendel has been coming by the office for the past three weeks in the month. The reason why he comes by is about Holly’s (The owner of the Trip Trap) missing sister Lily, or at least that is what Bigby stated to him.

“I’ve been standing here a half-hour already.” Grendel had said as he walked towards Bigby, “You get to just walk in? Must be nice being the sheriff and his kid… You two get to do whatever the fuck you like.”

“F.Y.I buddy, we work here.” Shadow had said to him with a glare.

“And what great work you two do.” He said sarcastically.

“Hmm, well that didn’t feel very genuine.” Bigby said, returning the sarcasm. Motioning Shadow they both went inside the office. The door closed shut just when they heard the word, “Fuckers.”

Shadow walked ahead when he saw Maria and his second best friend Garry.

Shadow met Garry when he was twelve. He saw from the window of 204, that a couple of teenage Mundies were kicking and beating him all because he had an unnatural color of hair. He literally snuck down from the two-story floor and took on the teenage Mundies by himself, but he ended up getting cracked ribs in the process. Had it not been for Bigby, he would’ve had even worse wounds.

After he and Garry talked for a bit they became best buddies and thus they find time for, himself, Garry and Maria to hang out.

As Shadow walked over to them he noticed that the man in charge which was Ichabod Crane was yelling at Snow.

“--and now you tell me there’s a killer on the loose!? You two are always tittering behind my back. --because you are the one bringing this to me Miss Snow! The one who simply ‘stumbled’ upon this catastrophe on our very door step!”

“What’s going on?” Shadow had asked with a whisper to Garry and Maria.

“Snow told Crane about the head that you guys found last night at the front door.” Garry whispered back to him, “As you can see he is not too happy about it.”

“The last thing I need with Mayor Cole away is a hysteria! Do you understand me?!” Crane continued to shout at Snow.

 

“Yes!” Snow said, “Of course I do but--!”

“Don’t interrupt me Miss Snow!” He shouted cutting her off.

“You asked me a question!”

“Don’t change the subject! You are to blame for this unpleasantness Miss Snow!”

“I bought this news to you as soon as I can!”

“You are trusted to keep things running smoothly around here! This is a disaster! Who else is to blame, if not you?!”

Bigby had then stepped in and said, “Look if anyone is to blame it’s me, you don’t need to be yelling at her.”

“Oh your role in this is duly noted! Yes, let’s talk about that!” Crane had said.

Crane soon walked over to his desk and sat in his chair, “Sheriff you are the one in charge of with protecting the citizens of Fabletown. Your failure to do so cost someone their life, and the safety of the entire community. Tell me you have been doing something, are their any leads, suspects? Anything? Anything at all? Any shred of evidence that you all know what the hell you're doing?”

“There's one suspect.” Shadow had said, “I can’t say for sure, but it could be her pimp.”

Crane was shocked, “Wait… You mean to tell she was a…”

Bigby nodded his head, “She was worried about a money situation.”

“Well this is just wonderful!” Crane said, “Not only was a Fable killed but it was a Fable hooker to boot!”

“So what are we supposed to do?” Garry asked Crane.

“Since you are the only ones that know of this incident, you all need to get a handle on this situation quickly and quietly.” Crane had told them, “The last thing we need is all of Fabletown knowing that their is a killer amongst us. Snow!”

“Yes… sir?” Snow asked.

“Call Vivian right this minute and let her know that I’m coming in early for my massage.” Crane said to her.

Shadow, Garry and Maria had the faces that pretty much had the look that would say “What?” on it as they all thought at the same time, “ _A massage?_ ”

Snow simply replied, “I will.”

Crane looked around on his table realizing something was missing, “And where was the bottle of wine you were to purchase?”

“ ** _AND WINE?_** ” The three once again thought in unison.

Snow got up up from her seat, surprised to see that the bottle of wine she had bought for Crane.

“Don’t bother, forget it!” Crane had said getting up from his seat before mumbling, “You can’t do anything right.”

He then proceeded to leave the office as he said, “Do your job sheriff. And make sure that mutt of yours stays out of places where he doesn’t belong.”

The name “mutt”  pretty much made Shadow lose it and he had turned to say to Crane, “You know what you- **MMF!?** ”

He was cut off when Garry had shut his mouth and quickly turned around so that Garry’s back was to Crane as he turned around.

“We’ll get on it right away sir.” Shadow heard Maria say as he tried to get out of Garry’s grip.

Crane left the office and Garry let go of his mouth.

After catching his breath Shadow turned to Garry, “Hey!”

“I’m sorry man.” Garry said,  “But trust me, with the attitude he has right now you would’ve just pissed him off even more.”

“Well that could’ve gone better.” Snow said, before turning to Bigby, “Well… I guess I should’ve listened to you and waited”

“Wasn’t going to say that I told you.” Bigby said to her.

“You don’t have to say it.” She said to him, “It would’ve been better to have more to offer.”

“Yup to get our little ducks in a row.” Garry had added.

As Bigby took out his cigarette to smoke, the others not minding at all, he asked, “Wine to a massage?”

“I guess it’s supposed to be some sort of gift.” Snow had replied.

“You know what I find weird though?” Shadow had said.

“What?” Maria asked.

“The fact that he’s being nice to somebody.” He said back to her.

“I know right.” Garry said, “It’s really strange.”

Just than a green monkey with wings came out of hiding. “Is… Is he gone?”

“Yes, thankfully.” Snow had said to the monkey who was named Bufkin.

Bufkin flew down from behind a cabinet. He landed on Snows desk not far apart from Cranes desk.

They had all realized that Bufkin had a bottle of wine in his possession and at the fact he was trying to open it.

“ **BUFKIN!!** ” Everyone had shouted.

Bufkin nearly dropped the bottle when he had heard them all yell.

“Oh! Good morning!” He said, putting the bottle aside and giving an innocent smile.

“Really?” Shadow said, “You're drinking this early?”

“Where did you get that?” Snow asked him.

“It was by Mr. Ichabod's desk.” Bufkin had replied.

“And don’t you think it might’ve belonged to him?”

“...Maybe?”

Snow sighed in defeat but took the bottle away from Bufkin. He had turned to Bigby and asked, “How are you today Mr. Bigby?” Bigby at first didn’t say anything but eventually he had replied, “I’m fine Bufkin, thanks for asking.” Earning a smile from Bufkin.

Snow had came back and said, “Bufkin, get the books.”

Bufkin asked, “Which books?”

“The ones with all the Fables in it.” She replied.

“I don’t think that was any more specific.” Bigby said.

“Bring the first three.” Snow said.

“Be back in a few minutes.” The monkey said, and with that he flew away. “He knows the ones I’m talking about.” Snow said soon after.

She soon went over to Cranes table, as she did she had said, “There’s bound to be information on her… Somewhere. We’ll at least be able to get her real name whenever Bufkin finds them. In the meantime why don’t you all have a look around, maybe ask the mirror.”

Bigby silently groaned at the mentioning of the mirror.

Snow picked up the phone and she said, “I really need to get this appointment thing squared away but let me know if you need anything.”

“I’ll go see if I can help Bufkin.” Garry said, “Me as well.” Maria said.

They both went in the direction that Bufkin went moments ago.

“Come on Shadow, let’s go ask the mirror. See what he’ll know.” Bigby said

Shadow nodded his head and went with him to the mirror. Once they did, Bigby had said “Hey, Magic Mirror. We’ve got some questions.”  

The mirror had suddenly shined green and within seconds a face had appeared.

“You know the rule.” The Mirror had simply stated.

“I don’t have time for this shit.” Bigby said with a glare.

“Your impatience is a callow, you’re needlessly cruel, but have some respect for our historied rules.” The Mirror said with a rhyme.

“I’ve got it dad.” Shadow said before saying with a rhyme, “Mirror, mirror if you’re able, tell us all about this fable.”

“See? Is that so hard for you?” The Mirror said to Bigby.

“Yeah I’m just about two seconds away from kicking a hole in you.” Bigby said to the Mirror.

“There’s no need for that.” The Mirror said, “...Fine. Of which Fable do you wish to know?”

**  
  
**

“How about we check on Woody?” Shadow had whispered, “Just for a second.” Bigby was about to question why Shadow wanted to see Woody but decided ignore it and nodded his head.

“Show us the Woodsman.” Bigby asked.

And the Mirror did just that. The Woodsman or Woody was seen, holding his head and just walking down the block while holding on to his head.

“Where is he?” Shadow asked.

“What you see is complete. The Woodsman stumbles down a street.” The Mirror told him.

“Yeah, no shit.” Bigby said, “Which street?”

“I’m sorry Bigby.” The Mirror told him, “I can only show you what can be seen.”

“Well so much for that.” Shadow said.

“Yeah, so much for that.” Bigby said.

“We might as well try and ask about that girl.”

“It couldn’t hurt to try.”

“Of which other Fable do you wish to know?” The Mirror then asked.

“Well… To be honest, we don’t actually know her name.” Bigby said rubbing the back of his head. “Until you do. I cannot help you.” The Mirror said to the both of them.

“Again, so much for that.” Shadow said to Bigby, “I guess we won’t know until we actually know her name.”

“You think?” The Sheriff said, “Why did you wanna see where Woody was exactly?”

“What do you mean?”

“You were so sure that it was the girl’s pimp.”

“To tell you the truth dad, I kind of have my doubts about it being her pimp. I mean you said it yourself, Woody was the last person to see that woman. So I mean he can be the other likely suspect.”

“That’s just what I was thinking.”

“But what happens when we’re both wrong, about who we suspect?”

Before Bigby could answer, they heard a loud noise coming from where Bufkin and Garry went to to retrieve the books.

“Mirror show us Garry and Bufkin.” Bigby said.

The mirror did just that and it showed that Garry and Bufkin were fighting over the wine bottle.

“ **GARRY! BUFKIN!** ” Shadow shouted causing them to stop.

“ **YOU TWO! PUT DOWN THE BOTTLE AND GET BACK TO WORK!** ” Bigby shouted to the two.

“ **GAH! RIGHT BOSS!** ” Garry said.

“ **WE’RE STILL LOOKING!** ” Bufkin said

The image vanished the Magic Mirror turned back into an ordinary mirror, leaving both Shadow and Bigby to facepalm themselves and they both said only one word.

“Idiots.”

* * *

- ** _Nine Years Ago, Central Park_** -

_It had already been nine weeks since Bigby had decided to take Shadow in. For the first week, it wasn’t going well. Shadow had felt depressed the entire three weeks, at the fact that no matter how much he tried, nothing came to mind. He soon fell into depression knowing that he will never remember if he ever had a family to begin with._

__

_During the few weeks he has been with Bigby he had managed to buy some clothes for him to wear, as he had sat wearing a winter grey coat with white mittens navy blue pants and red and black boots_

__

_He sat alone on the swing with Bigby not to far from where he was, and ate a bag of vanilla bean chocolate cookies that Bigby bought for him for a snack. Bigby hold told him that they’re were going to see Snow, the woman that he met when he had awoken._

__

_When the child had asked why he had to go with him, Bigby said it was just a little surprise._

__

_He continued to eat the cookies as he watched other children play, and he couldn’t help but feel very lonesome , as he watched the other children play their games. He hated to think this but he felt a little jealous towards the other kids, since he didn’t exactly have a friend._

__

_However before he could get up from the swing, he had felt someone loom over him, and then came a voice._

__

_“Hello there!” The voice said._

__

_The young boy looked up to see a girl, at the same age he was. She had short blonde hair and blue eyes and a blue ribbon she wore was like a headband for her. She wore a winter ocean blue jacket and a sky blue dress under it; with the jacket she wore navy blue mittens. She wore green blue stockings and indigo snow boots.  She looked at him with a smile on her face, and Shadow only gave an unsure look to her._

__

_She soon noticed the bag of cookies. “Oh, that looks delicious!” She said, with her eyes brightening._

__

_Shadow took out a cookie from the bag and held it in front of her, “Do you want one?”_

__

_“Sure!” She said, taking the cookie from his hand.then then sat on the swing that was next to him, not that he minded anyway. She took a a bite from the cookie and she said, “Whoa, this is yummy!”_

__

_“It’s vanilla bean chocolate.” Shadow had told the young girl, “Not many people like the flavor of it.”_

__

_“Why?”  The girl asked, “I don’t see anything wrong with it.”_

__

_“I guess it’s the name of it.” Shadow replied, “That or they’re allergic.”_

__

_“Maybe.” She said._

__

_“I’m sorry for asking this suddenly, but, do I know you from somewhere?”_

__

_“Well, no.”_

__

_“Does that mean you're a stranger?”_

__

_“Nope. I’m just a friend that you haven’t met yet. At least that what mom says.”_

__

_Shadow tilted his head to her, “Your mom?”_

__

_“Yeah, mommy is over there.” She said as she pointed to the bench where Bigby was sitting. But not only did he see Bigby, he had seen the woman he saw when he awoke, Snow White._

__

_“ **THAT’S** your mom?” Shadow had asked the girl._

__

_The girl nodded her head until she realized that she had missed something, “Oh, I almost forgot! My name Maria.”_

__

_“Maria…” Shadow had repeated, before he said with a smile, “Nice to meet you. I’m Shadow.”_

__

_After their introductions with one another, they had begun to play games with one another, like hide-and-go-seek, building snowman, making snow angels, and both than cops and robbers, where Shadow was the cop and Maria was the robber._

__

_Time had gone by so fast and the sun had already began to set. Shadow and Maria were both giggling at their impressions of other people. But what made Bigby crack a smile was the fact that Shadow had looked like an actual kid, just having fun with another._

__

_“I see that smile Bigby.” Snow said to Bigby._

__

_“I’m not smiling.” Bigby immediately said going back to his original look._

__

_“You are Bigby. I can see it.” Snow said, “You're happy that this worked, am I right?”_

__

_Bigby said nothing, but gave a small smile and nodded his head to her. “I’m happy too.” Snow said, “That he is just being a little kid.  It’s really nice, just to see him smile like one too.”_

__

_“Yeah.” Bigby said to her, “Seems like yesterday he just looked like a corpse.”_

__

_Snow checked her watch, “Well it’s starting to get late, we’re going to go on ahead.”_

__

_Snow then called out to Maria, “Maria! It’s time to go home!”_

__

_“Kay!” Maria called out , before getting up._

__

_Most of Shadow’s positive energy went away. “Wait!” Shadow said. Maria turned to him, “Sorry, mommy is calling me.”_

__

_Shadow gave the a sad look but had immediately disappeared when he heard Maria ask, “You live in the Woodlands with Mr. Wolf?”_

__

_“Ye-yeah.” Shadow said while he stammered._

__

_“I see.” Maria said before saying, “Than we can play again while mom and Mr. Wolf are at work.”_

__

_“Really?” Shadow asked._

__

_Maria nodded her head, “I’m sure mommy won’t mind if I go to play games with you.”_

__

_Shadow’s smile came back and he said, “Yeah, I’ll see you tomorrow than!”_

__

_Maria smiled and waved as she went over to  Snow._

__

_After her and Maria left, Bigby had took Shadow to a local diner where they ate dinner. The only thing Bigby had was a cup of coffee since by that time he wasn’t necessarily hungry, while Shadow had chicken tenders with a side of fries._

__

_“I see that you had a good time with Maria.” Bigby said as he took a sip from his coffee._

__

_“Yeah!” Shadow said with a smile, “I’m really glad that you took me today.”_

__

_“I’m glad too.” He replied to him._

__

_Shadow than looked as his plate unsure of something._

__

_“Alright, what is it?” Bigby had asked while taking another sip from his coffee._

__

_“I know what I’m about to ask is sudden but… Is it okay if I call you dad for now?”_

__

_Bigby almost choked on his coffee when he heard him ask that. “I’m s-sorry?”  The Sheriff stammered._

__

_“Is it okay, if I call you dad?” Shadow had repeated._

__

_Bigby wiped some of the coffee that was on his mouth and he asked, “Why would you want to know that?”_

__

_“Well I heard about it from Maria.” Shadow said, “If there's someone is kind to you and cares for you, than he or she can be a parent.”_

__

_“You think of me as a father?”_

__

_“Why wouldn’t I think that? I mean I’ve known you for a while now, and you are really caring so…”_

__

_Bigby put his coffee down, and put his head back in the chair. Him… As a father? He didn’t think a little boy like him would even think of him as father material, hell HE didn’t think of himself as father material._

__

_But he couldn’t help but think what Snow had said to him. That he needs someone to look up to. However he couldn’t help but think of a second thing.  “Out of all the people why him?”_

__

_Bigby had eventually said trying not to be awkward, “Yeah… I guess it’s okay.”_

* * *

- ** _Present_** -

 

Garry, Maria and Bufkin, managed to get the books they needed to find out who the girl’s name was. They had immediately started looking but so far they were having no such luck, even with the symbol on the ring.

They only thing they managed to find was the first book was the symbol that was the same as the ring was on what had appeared to be a tyrants clothing, now they were all looking in the book of symbols; All three of them.

“Man this is taking forever.” Garry said

“We have already found some kind of clue but even that’s not getting us anywhere.” Shadow had said.

“Don’t worry Shadow.” Snow had reassured him, “We’ll find it, we have to.”

Soon enough Bigby had found the symbol that is similar to the one on the ring and on the tyrants clothing. There was just one problem though.

“Ah hell.” Bigby said.

“What’s wrong?” Shadow asked him.

“I can’t read any of this shit.” Bigby told him.

“I can help.” Bufkin had said flying over to him.

“Thanks.” Bigby said.

“We look out for each other.” The green monkey replied.

“Don’t overdo it.”

Bigby pointed to the symbol that was on in the book, at the top of the third page. “This one.” He said, “Which symbol is this from, which family or story?”

Bufkin took a look at the symbol, “That’s an odd one.” The green monkey said, before pronouncing it, “Allair-lie-rau? I’ll go look it up.”

He flew over to a large book which was filled with names of all the Fables (Sadly except for the unknown Fables) and started flipping through the pages.

“Allerleirauh.” Garry repeated with correct pronunciation, “That means every kind of fur in German.”

“You know German?” Shadow asked him giving him a quizzical look.

“Dad taught it to me.” He said.

Before Shadow could say anything more, they had heard Bufkin say, “I found it, Donkeyskin.”

“That’s it!” Maria said.

“What does it say?” Snow asked.

Bufkin began to read the description; he ended up laughing at a certain point, “Donkeyskin girl, also known as Donkeyskin, also known as Ass skin, prefers to be called Faith, poetic.”

Shadow couldn’t help but stifle a laugh at the name Ass Skin but was quickly stopped when Bigby gave him a glare.

“Bufkin, we don’t need the commentary.” Snow said.

Bufkin then began to read Faith’s little story.

“The story of Donkeyskin. There was once a great king with a beautiful queen. The queen grew ill and had her husband promise to only marry the most beautiful girl in the kingdom. After a long search, it became clear that the only woman who could match her beauty was…”

He had stopped in the middle for only a moment then he finished the sentence, “His daughter… Faith…”

Everyone was shocked to hear that part of the story, especially Bigby.

Than Bufkin finished the story.

“She had a magical cloak, made from the skin of her father's prized donkey… that would hide her beauty, so she could escape his kingdom. Eventually she married a prince who could see past the cloak and knew her true beauty… And they lived happily ever after….”

“That poor girl…” Maria said.

“Her own father… Wanted to marry her…” Shadow said, “That’s awful…”

“That just goes to show you how desperate people are.” Garry said patting them both on the shoulders.

Bufkin turned to Snow and asked, “Shall I mark this… Miss Snow?”

“Yes…” Snow replied, “Please…”

Bufkin picked up a stamp and placed it on the page; the word “Deceased” was now across almost the whole page.

“What was the husband’s name?” Garry asked.

“Lawrence.” Bufkin said, “Prince Lawrence.”

The whole fell silent once again, after hearing the story of the girl named Faith. Snow then said, “Well, we got what where were looking for. Her name is Faith, and she was married to Prince Lawrence. I mean that’s more than we--”

“Her name was Faith.” Bigby said cutting Snow off.

Shadow turned to Bigby and his eyes were filled with concern for him; He didn’t show the emotion on his face, but his eyes were filled with it.

“Yeah.” Shadow said to him, “Her name was Faith.”

“We’ve gotta talk to the husband.” Bigby said turning to the group.

“Why boss?” Garry asked, “You think he did it?”

“At this point nothing would surprise me.” The Sheriff replied, “We can’t rule him out.”

“We’ll have to check with the Mirror again.” Shadow said, “See where Lawrence is, and maybe Faith as well”

They soon went back over to the Mirror. After having saying the rhyme (Sort of) the Mirror once again asked, “Of which Fable do you wish to know?”

“Could you show us Faith?” Shadow asked the Mirror.

The Mirror had replied, “Through powerful magic, her whereabouts concealed. Unfortunately for you... ** _T_** ** _hese lips are sealed._** ”

These left, Maria, Garry, Shadow and Bigby confused.

“What?” Bigby said.

“ ** _These lips are sealed._** ” The Mirror repeated, “It’s not my choice of phrasing, it’s simply the way it has to be.”

The teens looked at each other. “These lips are sealed?” Maria had said, “What do you think that means?”

“Maybe it’s a curse.” Garry said.

“Could be.” Shadow said, “Or maybe some kind of spell.”

“We’ll worry about that later.” Bigby had said, “Let’s see about Prince Lawrence.”

The Mirror had showed them Prince Lawrence in his apartment. The only thing they had gotten a good look at was up to his legs and feet. They couldn’t see at what the state of his apartment was. All they saw, was a knife covered with blood.

“I don’t know what I see in there, but all I have to say, it doesn’t look good.” Garry said.

“That poor man.” Maria said, “What has he been doing?”

“More importantly, where is this place?” Shadow said.

Bigby turned to Snow, “Hey, Snow, do you know where this is?”

“Where’s what?” Snow asked.

Do you know where Prince Lawrence lives?”

“If he’s a prince… He’s probably relocated in the South Bronx. Yellow building with, red window shutters?”

“Red frames.”

“Yup, that’s the one. I can take us there.”

“Perfect!” Shadow said, “Let’s get going than.”

Before Shadow could head to the exit, Bigby had stopped him. “Maybe you should stay here this time. Run the office while we’re gone.”

“What?!” Shadow exclaimed, “Dad, you can’t be serious!”

“I am being serious.” The Sheriff replied, “Look, we’re not sure what to expect from all this. You could be put in danger, so it’s best to stay here where it’s safe.”

“I’m not a little kid anymore dad!” Shadow said, “I think I can handle myself with this little situation.!”

“Shadow please.” Maria said, “Maybe you should listen to Mr. Wolf.”

“But--!”

“He's just concerned, that’s all. I know that you take matters in your own hands, but this time why don’t you just let Bigby handle it this time?”

Shadow tried to think of an counter argument, but he knew that it would be pointless, since well, it was Maria he was talking to.

“You win.” Was all that he had said.

“Well, now that’s settled let’s get going.” Snow said.

Just than the phone in the office had started ringing.

“I’ve got it!” Maria said, picking up the phone. She then greeted, “Hello, Woodlands Business Office, Maria White speaking.”

The whole group heard what sounded like mumbling over the other line.

“Yes--I--Yes he’s here.” Maria handed the phone over to Bigby, “Mr. Wolf, it’s for you.”

Bigby took the phone from Maria, and proceed to speak to whoever was over the phone.

Turns out it was none other than--

“ _Bigby, it’s me Toad! You there?_ ”

Bigby gave a pained sigh, but of course Mr. Toad didn’t hear it.

“Mr. Toad?” Shadow whispered to Maria.

“Mr. Toad.” She replied.

The conversation between the Sheriff and Mr. Toad.

“What do you want?” He asked the amphibian.

“ _Bigby! Shit._ ” Toad said with his voice filled with panic; There were noises on the other line, which were the sound of objects getting knocked over, “ _Listen, right? There’s a bloke upstairs going through the Woodman's things! Get over before he--_ ”

Just than Toad was cut off; Bigby heard that their someone coming down the stairs of the Tenement Building.

“ _Wait hang on._ ”

The sounds over the phone got louder; the group heard the sounds.

“ _ **OY!** Shit-- **HEY!!**_ ”

And just like that, the other line was cut.

“That can’t be good either.” Garry said.

Bigby placed the phone over the receiver. “What was that about?” Snow had asked.

“Hard to say.” Bigby said, “There's something going on over at Toad’s place. We should get over there.”

“Great, we’ve got two people to worry about now!” Garry said, “We’ve got Lawrence and now Toad! Geez as if things couldn’t get any worse.”

“You know Garry, you just rubbing it in doesn’t make it any better.” Shadow had said to him.

“But even so, Garry does have a point.” Maria said, “The situation right now doesn’t make it any better.”

Snow turned to Bigby, “Did Toad say who was there ? Was it the Woodsman?”

“I don’t know, it’s possible.” Bigby had replied to her, “Whoever it was though, it didn’t seemed like he wasn’t happen to see’em.”

“Well. Maybe Prince Lawrence will have to wait.” She said.

“ **WHAT!?** ” Shadow & Garry said in unison.

“You can’t be serious about that Miss White!?” Shadow said.

“Mom, I know Mr. Toad is a citizen of Fabletown as well, but with all do respect, Lawrence could be in more danger than Mr. Toad.” Maria had reasoned.

“Maria, I understand what you're trying to say, but you don’t that.” Snow told her.

“But you didn’t see what we saw through the Mirror.” Garry said, “He could be in trouble, right boss?”

“They do have a point Snow.” Bigby told her, “He could use some help too.”

“Well, ultimately, it’s your decision.” Snow said to him, “Where to first?”

Bigby started to think about where they should go. It wasn’t long until the answer came to his head.

“Toad sounds like he needs help right now. We’ll have to check in on Prince Lawrence afterwards.” Bigby said.

The three of them wanted to say something but they chose not to, since they know that they can’t argue with Bigby a second time. Shadow walked away from them and leaned on Ichabod's desk.

They proceeded to go out the door, “You three stay here.” Bigby told them, “And please, don’t do anything stupid.”

And just like that they were gone. Maria & Garry had then went over to Shadow to comfort him.

“You shouldn’t try to blame Bigby with his decision.” Garry said, “I’m sure he knows what he's doing.”

“Yeah.” Maria said, “And maybe they’re right about Mr. Toad being in trouble. I mean you have to remember he also has a kid.”

But then they both saw the look on Shadow’s face; The saw that he was smile a little.

“Oh no.” Maria said, “Shadow I know that look.”

“No way, you're planning on doing something stupid again aren’t you?” Garry said.

Shadow moved from Ichabod's desk and went to get his hoodie from the hanger, “Since when are the one to talk about stupid plans?”

He then proceeded towards the door. Before he could go out of the office, he was stopped by Maria

“Your planning on going to Lawrence aren’t you?” Maria asked him, “Shadow, you can’t! You could get hurt!”

“Maria think about it for a second.” Shadow said zipping his hoodie up, “You saw the blood on the knife, how he looked. He  could be hurt, or maybe worse than that. Plus, he could have an idea whose Faith’s killer is, so we have to get over there to get answers.”

“But what about Bigby?” Garry asked him, “The second he finds out you’re gone he will be on your ass, faster than you could say, I’m the gingerbread man! It might be even worse if Crane found you did this!”

“Don’t worry.” Shadow had reassured him, “I’ll be back before he even realizes that I’ve left.”

“Okay but what about Bufkin?” Garry said, “He’ll rat you out the minute you walk out that door and then--He’s asleep isn’t he?”

Shadow pointed over to Snow’s desk and they indeed saw Bufkin passed out with the wine bottle in his hand

“Seriously after one bottle of wine, he is out like he had 20 bottles.” Garry said, “I’ll never understand that monkey.”

“Look guys.” Shadow said to them, “I’ve already made up my mind. I’m going down there to check things out.”

“Than count me in.” Maria said.

“What?” Shadow said, “You wanna come with me?”

“Your my friend Shadow.” Maria said to him, “My best friend, and I’m not going to let you go alone.”

Shadow let out a scoff, “I guess that’s a good enough reason.”

Maria grabbed her jacket and they proceeded to the door.

Shadow opened the door and they were about to go out the office when he heard Garry say, “Hold up!”

He then went to a dresser and grabbed a pair of keys; They were car keys.

“Your guys are gonna need a ride.”


	4. Chapter 4

- ** _Tenement Building_** -

Bigby and Snow were walking over to the Tenement Building where they had a gotten a call about Toad, saying that someone was going through the Woodman’s things. They had gotten off the cab just a few blocks down and had decided to walk the rest of the way due to traffic down the street.

The sheriff was just finishing telling Snow about what had happened between him and the Woodsman last night.

“...And we ended up going out the window and I landed on Toad’s car.” Bigby had finished.

“By the sound of it, you guys made a real mess.” Snow said to him.

“Yeah, it looks even worse in the day.” He said back.

They approached the building, but as they did they saw someone move within the Woodsman apartment.

“Is someone up there?” Snow asked.

Bigby saw someone moving in the Woodsman apartment. From the looks of it, he was searching for something.

“Hey!” He shouted to the man.

This had caused the man to make a break for it.

“Wait here.” Bigby told Snow.

He went inside the Tenement Building and ran up the stairs to the Woodsman apartment. He went through the opened door and began to look around. He looked around the whole apartment and did confirm, that there was no one there within where Woody had lived, at least not anymore.

“...Shit.” Was all Bigby could say.

He went towards the hole in the wall that was made last night. Both him and Snow exchanged looks and motions to each other. Snow had then entered the building and Bigby was on his way out of the apartment when suddenly he heard the voice of a child, and then after it came Mr. Toad; Most likely the voice had belonged to Toad's son T.J.

“ _I’m sorry!_ ” He heard T.J cry out.

“ _That’s enough alright! Just shut it!_ ” He heard Toad yell soon after.

Bigby had then gone downstairs to meet up with Snow. When he got there, he found Snow at the end of the hall by the door to Toad's apartment. As he got closer the sobs of T.J were slightly louder.

“Is that his son?” Snow asked once Bigby got to the door.

“Toad’s, I think.” Bigby had replied.

Bigby was about to enter the apartment when Snow stopped him.

“Be nice in there. okay?” She had asked.

Bigby silently nodded.

He had then proceeded to say, “Hey Toad. You in there?”

He then went to get the knob; however the minute he accidently pushed the door slightly, the door had slowly opened, which caused his suspicions to stir.

He then pushed the door open all the way, and entered the apartment, finding Toad wearing his favorite brown hat, and T.J with him.

“Bigby! And Miss White!” Toad exclaimed, slowly moving in front of T.J, “Surely you didn’t come all this way just for my bother!”

Bigby could clearly tell that Toad was more nervous than he usually was. He scratched the back of his head, and had struggled to make eye contact with both Snow and him; His suspicions began to stir even more.

“Sorry Bigby.” Toad eventually said, “It’s embarrassing to have to admit, but, eh, I thought there was someone else in Woody’s place. There wasn’t though. Not when I checked--nothin’ but a leaky drain pipe. Imagination got the best of me So ya, false alarm.”

“There was someone.” Bigby told him, “But they took off as soon as we got here.”

“Is that right?” Toad had said, “I guess your dad’s ear have a year or two left. Haven’t totally gone to the dogs eh?”

His suspicion as well as his curiosity began rise even higher. Why would Toad call Bigby for help, then basically tell him to leave, as if nothing had happened? It didn’t make sense to either him or Snow.

Snow soon noticed T.J, who was in tears the whole time. She couldn’t help but feel sympathy for the poor child.

She went over to T.J, but stopped just a few inches away, not to frighten him.

“Are you alright?” She had asked T.J with a gentle voice.

Toad however had answered for him. “He’s fine Miss white.” He reassured, “Just stung his little toe. Better swimmer than walker, just like his dad.”

Snow then turned to Bigby.

“Wanna…” She said as she motioned her head towards T.J’s room.

Bigby, knowing what she meant gave her a silent nod, but Toad didn’t seem to notice as he said, “So I guess you’ll be taking off now. No need to hang around anymore.”

Bigby had told him, “ ** _Someone_** was here, **_something_** is going on. And just so this trip wasn’t all for nothing, I’m gonna look around for a bit before we leave, okay?”

This time, Toad had said nothing to them. “Look, the longer you talk, the longer this takes.” He told him, “So just stand over there and shut up.”

“Alright, alright.” Toad said, “I just don’t wanna waste your time is all.”

He walked over by the stairs, “Have a seat, have a cup of tea.” He offered, “Whatever you like.”

Snow then kneeled down to T.J’s level and said, “Phew! Grown-ups, am I right?”

T.J said nothing to her, he only continued to stare down at the floor. Than Snow thought of something. “Hey, you know what? Flycatcher said you had a “pretty awesome” insect collection.” She said with her usual warm smile, “I’d really love to see it. Is it in your room?”

That had gotten T.J’s spirit up a little. “It has a weevil.” He said to her.

“Cool!” Snow said.

She got up and followed T.J to his room, and closed the door behind her. Bigby sighed with relief. “ _ **At least he won’t have to be around when I look**._ ” He couldn’t help but think.

“Just mind the upholstery while you're looking for nothing.” Toad said with a glare towards Bigby.

“Yeah, sure thing.” Bigby said, and he began to look around. He had first started with a broken lamp that he saw on the floor earlier when he walked in. He got a closer look at; The lamp had been broken in half, and most of it was in pieces. From what he could tell, it was not thrown, or knocked over, it had broken on impact with something.

He had decided to ask Toad.

“How’d this happen?” Bigby had asked.

Toad turned to where he was kneeling. “Fucking hell.” He said, “Damn thing must’ve fell off the damn table.”

“Uh-huh.” Bigby said with his curiosity rising, “It just, fell off the table.”

“Or the boy was faffin about.” Toad immediately said, “Playin’ sods and swordfish. Who knows with the lad.”

Bigby had almost believed Toads story until he saw both of the outlets on the side of the wall plugged in. Therefore the lamp couldn’t have been there as Bigby had concluded. He got up and looked around some more. He soon walked over to the left side of the apartment, when he noticed something off.

There was a dust ring on a small table, in a shape of a simple hexagon. He got a closer look and realized why the shape was familiar. It was the same shape as the broken lamp he had found before.

Once again, he decided to ask Toad.

“Move something?” He asked.

“What do you mean?” Toad had asked back.

“There’s a clean space in the dust over here.” Bigby had replied.

“Uh, maybe one of Juniors toys or something.” Toad had said, “I mean, who knows?”

Again, his suspicion was up even higher. He put it together in his head, and finally the answer came out, as a clue.

“If you’re gonna say something, out with it!” Toad had said to him, starting to grow impatient.

Bigby turned him. “The broken lamp used to be here right?” He asked, “Just tell me what happened.”

“Nothing happened mate!” Toad immediately replied, with a bit of an anger in his voice, “Nothing! And why did the lamp have to be there!? Out of all bloomin’ pointless inquires! “

“Because the lamp was **_always_** over here, Toad. It was over here, and now it’s there.” Bigby said as he pointed to table than the lamp, “The space in the dust is from where **_you moved it_**.”

“I-I did some refiguring--who fuckin’ cares!” Toad said stammering at some point in his sentence.

Strike one, he had caught Toad in a lie.

“Bloody hell, mate.” Toad said turning away from Bigby, “C’mon, get off with this.”

Bigby continued to look through the room, keeping an eye out for anything else unusual. He soon saw blood stain on the wall. The blood was still a little wet, so it was most likely recently. He smelled the blood and it possessed an unfamiliar scent.

Just to be sure, he decided to ask Toad. And Toad had yet again made up another story.

“I’m sure, Junior's marked the walls up as well the gunk those toys carry.” Toad had said.

“You bleeding?” Bigby had asked him.

“Why is that--”

“It’s blood. It’s still fresh.”

Toad showed him his hand as he replied, “Oh well I cut me hand. Ran around like a tit trying to pick out a wrap. Must’ve got some on the furnishments.”

“Sounds painful.” Bigby said with a bit of sarcasm.

“Oy! Don’t you go Mother henning now!” Toad said, “The wound didn’t sit very long, you know. Perks of being a Fable I ’sppose. And a frog.”

With that being said Bigby continued to have a look around. He then saw a fireplace poker on the floor. The tip of it was covered with blood and the rug was stained with it as well.

The blood on the poker was the same as the wall; It was a little wet, indicating that some kind of fight had taken place, or an accident, either way, it was suspicious.

“There’s more blood over here.” Bigby said to Toad.

“Oh, the poker?” Toad said, “What of it?”

“Yeah, what happened?” He asked him.

Toad had replied, “Ah well, that’s--how it happened, didn’t it? I--was poking the coals and it slipped--sliced my foot like a seashell. Hurt like a shit, ugly thing.”

Bigby gave him another glare. “Okay Sheriff now what?” Toad asked him, rubbing the back of his head.

Once again the answer became clear.

“Wait a minute…” Bigby said, “You dropped in on your foot? You told me before that you cut it on your hand.”

This once again caused Toad to act nervous once again and stammered, “Yeah, no, I-I did cut my hand, and that made me drop the damn thing on me foot. Ruinous flip of events, really.”

All Bigby did was let out a grunt. He then went towards the wall where the other stain was. He then pretend to swing as if he were in attacker.

“Oh, my god, will you not make a big faff outta this!?” Toad said as Bigby was checking, “There’s nothing to solve here, Sheriff, I’m telling you everything that happened! Why don’t you believe me?”

“This apartment is a goddamn mess Toad.” Bigby said to him, “It looks like after a struggle, or a fight, and I don’t know why you’d cover for it… But I know that you're **_lying_** about something.”

“But I’m no--”

“And you're gonna make it worse for yourself the longer you keep up the act.”

“I’m not bull-shitting you. Honest.”

“We’ll see.”

That was strike two for Toad. The more he pieces he collected, the more he got closer to the truth.

He soon found something else out of place. There appeared to be something under the window. He opened it to find some kind of mark. From the look of it was a pair of hands that looked like skid marks, most likely someone had climbed through the window. There had appeared to be four fingers on each side; He had recognized the fingerprints, they had belonged to Toad.

“What is it now?” Toad had asked, “If it’s blood you know what happened, I--”

“No.” Bigby said cutting him off, “There’s marks on the windowsill. What’s that about?”

“No real reason.” Toad had replied hesitantly, “Just last night when I’d come out, I was in a---downright tizzy mate---as you would be--and I plum forgot the keys to this place, and I had to climb through the bloody window.”

“Really?”

“Yea, scared Junior half to death.”

“Than why was the lock busted?”

“Eh?”

“The lock. I noticed it earlier when I walked in. It had looked like someone kicked in the door. And that doesn’t have **_anything_ ** to do with the blood?”

“For Christ’s sake, the fukin’ lock has been busted for weeks mate. Rotted, just like everything else in this bloody place.”

There it was. The third strike. He had just struck Toad out.

“Bloody hell Bigby.” Toad said, “What sinister bit have you uncovered this time? I left the tap water running? Didn’t sort the recycling? What is the point of all this mate, really!?”

Bigby had simply replied, “Why did you climb through the window then?”

“Huh?” Toad said, acting like he didn’t know what Bigby had asked him.

Bigby said, “Why’d you climb through the window? You said it yourself, the lock’s been rotten for weeks. You wouldn’t **_have_** needed a key to get in.”

“Fuckin’ hell.” Toad said, losing his patience, “Just what are you on about, mate? After the state I was in, I didn’t have me head, that’s all it was, **I FORGOT THE FUCKIN’ HANDLE WAS FUCKIN’ BUSTED.** And I’ll tell you what, it’s embarrassing, you bringing all this shit up alright? So quit it with the third degree!”

Bigby let out a glare, which caused Toad to go back to being nervous. “Bigby c’mon.” Toad pleaded, “I’m begging for mercy over here old boy. I was looking forward to a nice afternoon, just me and my son, and you’ve taken up enough of the day all this--this sniffing around my personal belongings! I’m sorry I called, really but… will you please-- please just bugger off?”

“Not yet.” Bigby replied.

“ **NOT YET!?** ” Toad couldn’t help but shout, “You say--to **_MY_** face that you think I’m hiding something from you! Well you’ve had to go to the room fair bit of time now! Nothing’s here! So when!? When are you gonna leave!?”

Bigby clearly could see, that Toad was starting to be both stubborn and stupid; That answer, to the question should be obvious.

“When?” Bigby said, “When you start telling me the **_truth_** Toad.”

“But I’ve told you the truth mate!” Toad said, “Jesus Christ, what more do you want? I cut me hand, I broke the lamp--I forgot me keys so I climbed the sill. There’s no more story to tell, mate!”

Bigby had then explained it to him.

“Toad, these… **_stories_** have made no sense. You **_didn’t_** bump the lamp off the table. You **_didn’t_** cut yourself on the poker, and you **_didn’t_** forget your keys. So, you wanna tell me what’s going on?”

Snow and TJ soon emerged after Bigby had finished up.

“She doesn’t think much of me.” TJ said, “I don’t think.”

“Oh I wouldn’t say that.” Snow said to him before turning to Bigby, “Progress?”

Toad had went over to TJ and gave him a hug, but it was only than Bigby and Snow had noticed that, there was blood, trailing down his head.

“Mr. Toad…” Snow said, “You're bleeding.”

Toad felt the back of his head, and did confirm that he was indeed bleeding. He hung his head down in shame, as he had just now realized that he had been found out.

“Take off the hat.” Bigby told him and he did just that.

There on his head, it was revealed to be a fresh cut on the back of his head. He gave out a sigh and explained; Snow helped Toad out with the wound.

“It was that… butcher. Tweedle. Dum or Dee. You gotta strip’em down to their johnnies before you could tell which is which. He came bargin’ in, screaming about what the Woodsman had, or thought he had… I don’t know. He tore up the place, beat me up when I said I didn’t have it. I tried to go out the window, but he pulled me back in. It’s been a hard morning, I can tell you that.”

“Do you know what he was looking for?” Bigby asked him.

“I have no idea.” Toad replied, “I would’ve told you-- Really I wanted to… But he said if word o’ ever got back to him, if he ever thought you knew, or Miss White… He’d come back and kill my boy. I even tried to give the bastard her coat. He wouldn’t take it.”

Snow asked, “Whose coat?”

Toad had simply said, “The girl.”

“Dad borrows things from people who live here.” TJ said earning a glare from his father, “Uh… sometimes?”

Bigby gave a quizzical look, “Borrows?”

Toad had replied, “I don’t steal nothin’. The turnaround here would astonish you mate. I merely… **_Repossess_** what’s been left behind.”

“Well, we’ll be taking the coat now.” Snow said to Toad, “If she has next of kin, family, anyone…”

“Alright. Fetch ’em the fur.” He said to TJ.

TJ went over to the fireplace to grab the coat.

“Fine bit of dress it.” Toad said.

Snow helped TJ out in getting the coat. She pulled it out and it revealed to be the Donkeyskin coat, just like the one in Faith’s story.

Toad said, “Though I wouldn’t wear it outside.”

Snow laid the coat down on the couch, just than Bigby saw what appeared to be something, that was lodged in the Donkey’s mouth. Bigby removed it.

“It’s an envelope.” Bigby had said.

“Fuckin’ hell of course!” Toad said with sarcasm, “With my luck, it’s a map to some bloody doubloons”

“It’s addressed to Prince Lawrence.” Snow stated, “Do you wanna to try to give it to him, or…”

Bigby shooked his head, “It doesn’t seem right to open another man’s mail. Let’s try to give it to him.”

The others didn’t realize it, but the phone in Toads apartment began to ring; TJ went to answer it.

“Well it has been quite a surprising day for all of us, hasn’t it?” Toad said, “I’d see you out, but I’m afraid of drippin’ any more blood in the place.”

“Let’s get over to Lawrence now.” Snow said, “Hopefully we can find more about what’s going on.”

“Right, let’s get--”

Before Bigby could finish, he felt TJ tugging on his leg; He noticed that he was holding the phone.

TJ had said, “It’s Maria. She wants to talk to you.”

Bigby and Snow both looked at each other, giving each quizzical looks. Than Bigby took the phone from TJ.

Bigby had said, “Hello Maria?--What?--Wait slow down, I can’t understand you.”

Than in the next second, Bigby’s eyes widened in shock.

 **  
“** Shadow’s what!? Where are you right now!? **”**


	5. Chapter 5

- ** _Lawrence's Apartment; South Bronx_** -

Garry had parked the car just at the side of the building where Lawrence had lived. “Well this is the place.” Garry said as he took a good look out the window.

Shadow who had sat in the passenger’s seat in the front with Garry had said, “Look Garry I appreciate you coming with us, and giving us a ride but what I don’t understand is… **WHY YOU BOUGHT YOUR LITTLE SISTER ALONG WITH US!?** ”

Shadow pointed to Ib, Garry’s nine year old sister Ib, who sat next to Maria; She had long brown hair and red crimson eyes, like Shadow. She wore a white collared shirt with a red neckerchief and skirt. She also wore a pair of dark green knee high socks and a pair of brown shoes.

Garry gave Shadow a look, “What? She doesn’t like it when I’m away from the Woodlands. She get’s really lonely.”  

“Couldn’t your parents keep her company?!”

“No, trust me man they're busy as it is right now!”

“With what!?”

“I don’t know, with work I guess!!”

“Big brother, Shadow!” Ib said immediately getting between them, “You guys gotta remember, you two have a job to do remember, for the fate of Fabletown!”

Shadow and Garry both turned to Ib, and let out a laugh by how she acted. Ib started to slap them sensely at the back of the head, “Don’t laugh! This is serious!!”

“Ib! I’m sorry!” Garry said through his laughter, “But you just sound so funny by how you said it!”

“It’s true Ib!” Shadow said, “You did sound funny!”

Ib made a pouty look and said, “I’m not trying to be funny.”

Maria took a look at the apartment which had belonged to Lawrence. “You know guys, I’m starting to have second thoughts about this.” She said, “Maybe we shouldn’t be here.”

“It’s going to be okay Maria.” Shadow said to her, “We’ll be in and out as soon as we can. If anything goes wrong, we’ll get in contact with my dad, okay?”

“Okay.” Maria said, “That makes me feel a little better.”

“Well than, let’s get going than.” Garry said, “Ib, you stay here, if you see or hear anything suspicious, give us the _**signal**_.”

“Kay’ big brother.” Ib said.

And with that, Shadow, Maria, and Garry got out of the car and proceeded to the front door. They knocked on the door.

“Hello?” Maria said, “Prince Lawrence? Are you home? We need to talk to you!”

“We work with Sheriff Bigby!” Shadow had added, “We’d like to ask you a few questions!”

“It’s just a few simple questions! We’ll be in and out of here we promise!” Garry had also said.

No answer came from the other side. The only thing they had received was silence. “Doesn’t seem like anyone is home.” Garry said.

“No, no, he’s gotta be here.” Shadow said, “The Mirror showed us that he was home, so he’s gotta be here.”

“But you never know, maybe he went for a walk before we got here.” Maria said.

Garry than tried to open the door only to find that it was locked. “Maybe she’s right, the door is locked.”

“Maybe we should--”

Maria was stopped when they  heard Ib call out, “Guys, come over here!”

They went over to the same place that Garry’s car was parked; Ib was out of the car and looking through an open window, which was on Lawrence's apartment.

“Ib, I thought I told you stay in the car.” Garry said.

“What’s the matter?” Shadow asked.

“There’s someone inside.” Ib said pointing within the apartment, “But I don’t think he’s moving.”

The three looked through a cracked window, and despite the curtain blocking the view, they indeed saw a person in there, just sitting in the same place that the Mirror showed them.

“That must be him.” Garry said, not even realizing Shadow was looking around, making sure no one was passing by, “Alright, because of the situation I think it’s best that we wait until--Shadow what are you doing!?”

Just like that, the teen opened the window so that it was a bit wider, and climbed in the apartment. “Shadow what the hell!?” Garry said.

Shadow got up from the floor and said, “Well? You guys coming or what?”

Garry and Maria both looked a each other, and they both sighed.

“Give me your hand.” Maria said. Shadow gladly gave his hand to her, and pulled her in through the window.

“Shadow I swear, when we get back to the Woodlands, **_I’ll_** be the one that has your ass for pulling a stunt like this.”

“Just shut up and take my hand.” Shadow said stuck his hand out to him. Garry took it and he climbed in, and Ib had soon followed.

When they got in they smelled an awful stench in the air. “God, what is that smell?” Garry said, “Smells like 20 skunks sprayed the whole place!” Garry said.

Garry heard Shadow and Maria gasping at what they saw within the room. Garry turned around, “What? What’s the ma--Oh my god!”

What they saw was Lawerence, sitting in the chair, fresh blood on his chest. Flies buzzing around him and giving an awful stench. He wasn’t moving, at all.

“Oh god, I think I’m gonna be sick…” Garry said almost throwing up.

“Is he…” Ib said, “You know…?”

“I… I don’t know…” Maria said trembling a little.  

Shadow went over to Lawrence and put his hand toward his mouth, not touching his lips. He didn’t feel any kind of breathing from him. Shadow turned to his friends and sadly shook his head.

“No way.” Maria said, “There can’t be **_another_** dead Fable…”

“And Lawrence was, and might’ve been our _**only**_ lead.” Garry said.

“We’re going to have to take a look around.” Shadow said to them, “When we’re done, we’ll call someone to help us move his body to the morgue.”

The three nodded their heads in agreement and began to look around. Shadow had looked beside Lawrence while Maria searched the kitchen and Garry looked through the side of the apartment; he found the knife they saw through the Mirror as well what it didn’t show, a gun, and pills.

Shadow looked at the pills and saw they were sleeping pills, most likely Lawrence had trouble sleeping.  He then picked up the gun, being very careful with it in case it was still live and armed. He saw it was recently fired.

“ ** _Did he really attempt suicide?_** ” Shadow couldn’t help but think, “ ** _He couldn’t have known about Faith being killed, so was it something else?_** ”

Maria and Garry soon came back. “Did you guys find anything?”

“Not really.” Maria said, “Just empty bottles of sleeping pills. How about you?”

“More of the same pills.” Shadow said, before showing them a gun, “And this which was recently fired. He must’ve done it himself. Garry, what about you?”

Garry replied, “Well, I found the knife from what the Mirror showed us, and blood was splattered on the floor; from the looks of it something was moved, and there was this stuck to the bed, over there”

Garry showed them a piece of paper which was written in cursive.

“Did Lawrence write that?” Shadow asked

“Looks like it.” Garry said.

“Well, what does it say?” Maria asked.

Garry cleared his throat and read the letter, “ _My dearest Faith, I never meant to hurt you, and I cannot endure knowing that I have. This was for the best. I’ll see you again. Love, your devoted Lawrence._ ”

The three both hung their heads in shame and sympathy not even realizing that Ib was checking out Lawrence, “Man, I know I’ve felt bad for other Fables, but, damn…”

“I don’t understand how people could go through this…” Maria said, almost in tears, “It’s just so hard.”

“Yeah, I know what you mean.” Shadow said, “If something like this really happened before we even found ourselves here in Fabletown… God I don’t know how dad even handled it…”

Maria then went over to Lawrence.

Ib looked at Maria, “What are you doing?”

Maria didn’t turn to Ib, but she replied as she just continued to stare at Lawrence, “There is so little of us here in Fabletown, I should, no, I **_need_** to know his face.”

Just than… The miracle happened. Maria & Ib saw Lawrence blink, which caused both of them to let out a small scream and jump into a standing position.

Lawrence coughed out a little blood a few times before falling off his chair. “Garry! Shadow!” Maria shouted, “It’s Lawrence! He’s alive!”  

Shadow and Garry immediately went over and saw Lawrence try to pick himself up from the floor.

“Oh shit!” Shadow mumbled (So Ib wouldn’t hear), before almost yelling to Garry and taking Lawrence’s right arm.,  “Garry! Help me get him back on the chair!”

Garry nodded his head, and took Lawrence’s left hand, they slowly and carefully got him back on the chair. As they helped him sit back on the chair, they heard Lawrence ask, “Wha--What are you doing here?”

“Take it easy Lawrence.” Shadow said, “Try not move alright?”

Lawrence didn’t appear to hear him, as he asked, “What’s going on?”

“We found you here on your chair.” Maria told him, “To be honest when you weren’t moving, we thought you were dead.”

“Big brother, we should call Doctor Swineheart.” Ib told Garry.

“Good thinking Ib.” Garry said, “I’ll go try to find a phone.”

“Please do.” Shadow said, and thus Garry started looking around. He then turned back to Lawrence, “Do you know who I am?” He asked.

“Yes…” Lawrence said with a nod.

“Good.” Shadow said, “I know this is kind of a bad time, but I need to ask you a few questions.”

“Wha--what’s this about?” He asked, “Did something happen?”

“That’s what I would like to know.” Shadow said, “What happened to you?”

“I… I don’t know…” He replied. Lawrence than noticed the wound on his chest, “Oh… That’s right.” He said as he slowly started to remember, “I… Shot myself…. I should’ve hit my heart… I should be dead…”

“Well…” Shadow said, “It **_would’ve_** been straight through the heart if it was at least two inches to the left. From the looks of it you hit a lung.”

“Great…” Lawrence said sarcastically before saying, “But at least… That’s how I think it happened…Things… Are a little fuzzy… Thought it was a bad dream…”

“Why?” Maria asked, “Why would you do this to yourself?”

Lawrence turned to Maria and replied, “I did it because… I was ashamed… I couldn’t live… Knowing what **_I_** did to her… I did what I could… **_to keep her away_** … But she still worries about me… She comes by… To make sure, I’m… Okay… I’m a fuckin’ burden… I’m useless… I don’t want her to have to worry about me… She’s better off **_without me_** … Dragging her down… She **_deserves_** that… She’s been through a lot…I just wish… I could’ve done… **_Better_** for her…”

Shadow and Maria both looked at each other; Even though they had exchanged looks, they knew they had to tell him the truth. He had to know the truth, not a lie, not even a half truth, he needed the real truth.

“Lawrence…” Shadow said, “I’m very sorry to inform about this but, your wife… Has been killed.”

Lawrence’s  widened in shock, he then started to cry, “No… no, no, no, no…” He said as he choked through his sobs, “I knew this would happen…”

“Look, we’re very sorry for what happened.” Shadow said, “Really, we are. But we need your help. You need to remember anything, anything at all to lead us to-”

“Georgie…” Lawrence mumbled cutting him off.

“What?”

“Fukin’ Georgie…”

Maria and Shadow turned to each other, “Georgie?” Garry came back after he found a phone  and called Swineheart who heard the name “Georgie”.

“Who’s Georgie?” He asked.

Before Shadow could ask Lawrence they heard a knock on the door, which caused all of them to jump a little.

“Is that--” Maria whispered.

“No.” Garry replied back with a low voice, “He couldn’t have known that we came here, at least not this quick.”

Shadow turned to Lawrence, “You aren’t by any chance are expecting anyone are you?”

Lawrence shook his head. “Want me to see who it is?” Garry asked.

“Hold on a second Garry.” Shadow said. Soon enough, they saw the knob turning. “They’re starting to get in.” Ib said.

Shadow turned back to Lawrence, “Listen to me. We need to figure out whoever that person is and why they're trying to get in here, I need you to do something for me.”

“Sure anything…” Lawrence said.

“I need you to play dead.”

“What?”

“Just don’t move, and don’t make a sound. Besides, you can’t move in your condition anyway.”

Lawrence then looked at him, unsure if he should listen or not. “Lawrence please.” Maria said, “Think about your wife.”

After giving it some thought for a short time, he said to Shadow, “Give me back the gun, just in case.” Shadow nodded his head and gave him back the gun; He placed the gun in his hand and made sure he had a firm grip on it.

“You guys come on!” Ib said, “We gotta hide!”

“Yeah Ib, but where exactly?!” Garry whispered.

Shadow then spotted a open closet. “There! Hurry!” Shadow said to them. They quickly and quietly went to the closet and went inside. Before they closed it shut, Maria put her finger to her lips to Lawrence just so that he can stay quiet. Lawrence gave a silent nod and they shut the closet door.

They heard the front door busted open. Shadow looked through the small gap that was in the door.

“Who is it?” Garry whispered.

He saw a man walk in. He was large in size and wearing a white collared shirt with black trousers, and what appeared there appeared to be a grey hat upon his head. “I don’t know.” Shadow whispered over to Garry, “I’ve never seen him before.”

Shadow soon saw him starting to look around the small apartment. Eventually he went towards the pile of books that was just in front of the closet door; Thankfully he didn't see Shadow's pair of eyes.

"What's he doing now?" Maria asked Shadow with a whisper.

"He's looking through the books." He replied, "I think he might be looking for something."

Just than, behind the man he saw Lawrence start to move, lifting the gun towards the man.

" ** _What the hell!? What is he doing?!_** " Shadow thought to himself.

Lawrence then turned off the safety, pointed towards the intruder.

“ **WHY DID YOU KILL HER YOU MOTHER FUCKER!** ”

The intruder turned around, and raised his arms up when he saw that Lawrence was holding a gun in his hand.

“Hey listen… You don’t want to do this man.” The intruder said to Lawrence.

Lawrence had fired from his gun, but missed the intruder on purpose.

“ **TELL ME! WHY DID YOU DO IT!? WHY DID YOU MURDER MY WIFE!?** ” Lawrence continued to shout.

“I don’t know what you're talkin’ about, okay?” The intruder said to Lawrence calmly, “I’m just a guy lookin’ for answers.”

“Alright that’s it!” Shadow said, before opening the door which gave the intruder a scare. This had caused the intruder to make a break for it. “ **STAY WITH LAWRENCE! I’M GOING AFTER HIM!!** ” He shouted to Garry and Maria before running after him.

“ **SHADOW WAIT HOLD UP!** ” Garry shouted at him.

But Shadow had ignored him and he went out through the opened window. “I’m going after him!” Maria said before making her way out the window, “Hey! Don’t leave me hanging!” Garry said running after her, “Ib, you stay here until Swineheart get’s here!”

“Alright!” Ib said, “Be careful!”

At that moment, Shadow had still continued to apprehend the intruder, “ **HEY! GET BACK HERE!** ” Shadow shouted at him as he ran after him.

“ **LEAVE ME ALONE!** ” The intruder shouted at him.

They eventually ran into a building, and the intruder got up at the top of the stairs. He grabbed anything he could find and started to throw them at Shadow. “ **SHIT!** ” Shadow shouted as he started to dodge anything that was thrown at him. He dodged a vase, and nearly got hit by a cabinet. The intruder started to run again, and he started to run after him.

They ran through the hallway where the intruder knocked over a man moving his couch, luckily Shadow made a clean jump over the couch. But he soon ran to a fork in the road; he stopped at two doors, one slightly opened and the other, the three was upside down. He ran to the door on the left and saw the intruder trying to climb out the window.

He grabbed his legs, and despite him only being a teenager, he started to pull him back in with brute strength. He was soon stopped when he kicked him right in the face, making him fall backwards. He quickly recovered and went after him. The intruder jumped from one balcony to the next. Shadow did the same thing, but he lost his landing and fell on to the second story balcony.

“ **GAH! FUCK!** ” Shadow yelled as he hit the ground hard.

He got back up and ran inside the second apartment. He made to the middle of the hallway and heard footsteps above him. He followed the sounds and ran down the hall. Soon enough he stopped at the only window at the end of the hall and the saw the intruder jump from the third story window.

Shadow let out a pained sigh, and said, “I **_really_** wish I had a better idea than this.”

He backed up a few inches before running towards the window. With a leap he broke through the window and before he knew it he was flying through the air, but for only a few seconds. He let out a scream as he fell right on top of the intruder who was in the process of climbing out.

“Okay, I’m never doing that again…” He ground as he rubbed his back and than his head. The intruder climbed out of the dumpster.

“ **HEY!** ” He shouted.

He jumped from the dumpster and kicked the back of his head so that he would fall to the ground, unfortunately Shadow fell to the ground to, again.

“Fuck man!” The intruder said as he picked himself up from the ground. It wasn’t long till he realized who he was. “Holy shit! You're the sheriff's kid!” He exclaimed.

“Glad to know… That you know who I am…” Shadow said catching his breath, “Damn… I can’t believe… You made me jump… Out of a window… A two story… fuckin’ window... ”

After he recovered he had then asked the man, “So why did you run, huh? Why did you run from Lawrence’s apartment?”

“Well because you were chasing me!” The intruder said, “The fuck was I supposed to do!?”

“Stop when I told you to?” He suggested.

The intruder got up and said to him, “Look kid, you’ve got the wrong guy.”

“Tell that to the man who was about to shoot you. You mind telling what his shouting about, why was he saying as if you knew who killed her?”

“Look kid, you’ve got it all wrong, I didn’t kill anybody.” The man got up from the floor, “We’re in the same boat here.”

He took out a business card, “The names Dee, I’m a private investigator.”

Shadow took the card from his hand. “You and your father are looking the Woodsman, right?” The man named Dee had asked him, “Look, kid, I know where he is. My guy says he’s holed up over at the Trip Trap. You and I can head over there right now. The both of us, make your father proud.”

“Who exactly is your employer?” He asked.

“Sorry, that’s confidential.” Dee replied putting hand on his head, “You gotta understand how business works. There is just certain information I can’t reveal that to you.”

Shadow batted his hand away and said with a growl, “Don’t… Touch me.”

“Whoa even if you're not blood, you really are related to him.”

“Than you know well not to get me pissed off, because I will bite back. Now you're coming with me back to the Woodlands. I’m sure my father would have a lot to discuss with you.”

“This could’ve been easy kid.”

“Don’t worry, it still is for you. Follow me.”

Shadow turned and started to walk, but was then stopped when he heard him say, “Dum.” He turned back to Dee, giving him a quizzical look, “I’m not the one who’s dumb.”

“No kid, your not listening.” Dee said, “I’m Dee… **_His Dum._** ”

Shadow then felt a tap on the shoulder.

He slowly turned to see a man named Dum, very similar to Dee except for the hate, who was standing right behind him.

“Son of a--”

He was then punched right in the face, and kicked, before passing out.


	6. Chapter 6

**-** ** _Two Years Ago, Woodlands Apartment_** **_Room 204_** **-**

 

_ Shadow never thought this would happen but he was bored as hell. Especially at the fact that his father was at work and Maria had something to do and he couldn’t see her today. He had already read the dozen books he had in his room, he even reread most of them; that’s how bored he was. And what’s worse, his father told him not to leave the Woodlands without him or at least without his saying so. It felt like it was a prison.  _

 

_ He now found himself watching the TV, and as always nothing good was on, he didn’t even know why he even bothered. He looked at the time and let out a groan.  _

 

_ “I feel like I’m going to croak any second now… If something doesn’t come my way, I’m going to be very pissed.”  _

 

_ As if he spoke of the devil, he heard cries of pain outside, and the sounds of laughter of enjoyment. Curiosity overtook him and he went to the window to check it out. He saw that there were three older boys picking on a young boy who appeared to be two years older than he was. The young boy had short purple hair and wore a dark green t-shirt, and a pair of jeans that was rolled up showing his ankles and a pair of sneakers.  _

 

_ The young boy was getting picked by three older boys, from which Shadow could tell they were mundies.  _

 

_ He saw them kicking the boy, and shouting names. Shadow knew he couldn’t just sit there and watch them beating him like a punching bag. He climbed out the window and on the balcony, and very quietly made his way down to where the boy was. _

* * *

 

_ Garry felt himself being thrown against the a trash can; He wiped off the blood from his mouth. “You gonna cry out to mommy you little eggplant?” The teen boy said, “You gonna sit there and cry?”  _

 

_ “Look, I told you already, I don’t want any trouble!” Garry had tried to reason while getting up. However he was kicked down to the ground again. Before they could continue, they heard a voice.  _

 

_ “Back off and you won’t get hurt!”  _

 

_ The teens turned to see another boy, a pre-teen who looked to be two years younger than Garry. He wore a red and black shirt with a peace sign and grey cargo pants and red sneakers. The pre-teen had shoulder length black and red hair, and red eyes.  _

 

_ The older teens laughed at him. “Really? You want to play with the big boys you little brat?”  _

 

_ The three teens then started to stalk over him, and the boy got into fighting stance. “What are you doing, get out of here!” Garry shouted to him.  _

 

_ One of the teens try to throw a punch at him, but the boy ducked and then did what appeared to be an upper cut. The teen fell back, onto the other piles of trash, just right next to Garry. The two other teens charged at him and tripped them. He then ran over to Garry. “Are you okay?”  _

 

_ “Yeah, I’m alright.” Garry replied before saying, “How in the world, did you do that?!” _

 

_ “I taught myself how to fight.” The boy replied.  _

 

_ “But…” Garry said, “There were three of them, against a kid like you?” _

 

_ “I’m not a kid.” He said as he helped Garry up off the floor, “Besides, I just saved your life from a bunch of mundies, didn’t I?”  _

 

_ “Well yeah…” Garry said brushing himself off, “And I do appreciate the help. Who are you exactly?”  _

 

_ “My name is Shadow.” He replied, “Shadow Wolf. From the Woodlands”  _

 

_ Garry’s eyes widened in shock when he had heard the name Wolf.  _

 

_ “You’re… The Sheriff's--?” _

 

_ Before he could finish, he saw one of the teen mundies, holding a bat, and about to hit the boy named Shadow with it.  _

 

_ “ _ **_LOOK OUT! BEHIND YOU!!!_ ** _ ”  _

 

_ Shadow had turned around only to feel a hard object hit him on the side causing him to cry out in pain and fall to his knees. He was hit by it again and he fell right on his face. Garry ran over to him helping him up, only to find a shadow over them .  _

 

_ “ _ **_YOU DAMN LITTLE BRAT!! YOU’LL PAY FOR THAT!!!”_ ** _ The teen Mundy shouted, preparing to strike. Shadow squeezed his eyes shut as did Garry and prepared the intense pain that they were about recive. But the pain never came. Shadow had slowly opened his eyes, and saw that the bat was just near his head and saw that a familiar face had stopped the bat from hitting him.  _

 

_ “Dad?” Shadow said.  _

 

_ It was indeed Bigby Wolf who had stopped the bat from hitting both him and Garry. The Mundy teen had tried to get the bat from his grip; Bigby on the other hand disarmed the Mundy and he hit him with the bat instead. The other two teens rushed him, but Bigby had immediately hit them to the ground. The mundies knew they wouldn't be able to take them after they saw the look in his eyes. So they had immediately ran away with their tails between their legs.  _

 

_ Shadow ran over to Bigby still holding on to his side. “Dad, you don’t know how happy I am to--”  _

 

_ He was stopped when he felt him slap the back of his head, which caused him to flinch. Shadow looked up and saw that he had an angry look on his face. Shadow sighed and he asked, “I’m in trouble aren’t I?”  _

 

_ Bigby nodded his head and said, “Big time.” _

* * *

 

**_-Present_ ** **-**

 

Shadow had felt himself slowly come to after the pain he had suffer from Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum. As soon as the image cleared up through his eyes, he found himself in a car; In a cab which was van instead of Garry’s car. He rubbed his throbbing head and moaned in pain; He heard a voice that was all too familiar to him which made him freeze. 

 

“Good to see that you’re finally awake.” 

 

Shadow turned and jumped when he saw who it was, “Gah! Dad!” 

 

“Yeah.” Bigby said to him as he glared, “It’s me. You’re father. Bigby Wolf.” 

 

"But I thought you were still at Mr. Toad's place! How did you even--"

 

"Maria called me right when we were going to leave Toads apartment. She told me what happened over the phone  **_and_ ** in person."

 

Soon enough he saw Maria turn from the seat in front of him. 

 

“Maria!” Shadow said, “I thought I told you that--” 

 

“I know I’m sorry!” Maria said putting her hands together as if she was praying, “But Garry and I found you unconscious badly injured! I didn’t know what else to do!” 

 

He then heard Bigby say, “What part of don’t do anything stupid do you not understand?” 

 

“Dad look I can explain--” 

 

“When I tell you to stay at the office, I **_fucking mean_ ** stay at the office! You’re lucky to be alive after what you just went through!” 

 

Snow who was sitting next to Maria in the front seat turned to him and said, “Bigby is right Shadow.” Snow said to him, “You could’ve been killed. You should’ve told us that you were going there!” 

 

“Mom, we wanted to call you!” Maria said, “We really did but Shadow said that--” 

 

“I know you mean well, but Shadow doesn’t get to make the decisions.” Snow said turning to her stopping her at mid-sentence, “You know that.” 

 

“But I--We just thought--”

 

“Maria, I know you, Shadow and Garry were just doing what was right, but you gotta understand we just don’t want to see you get hurt, just don’t do it again, okay?” 

 

Maria nodded her head, “Yes mom, it won’t happen again.” 

 

Bigby was getting back to the matter at hand with Shadow, “Snow does make a good point, you can’t go making rash decisions like that!”

 

“So what?” Shadow said, “You make rash decisions all the time too!” 

 

“ **THAT’S BECAUSE IT’S PART OF MY JOB AS BEING SHERIFF OF FABLETOWN!** ” 

 

“ **THAN AS LONG AS I’M A PART OF THE WOODLANDS, THE BUSINESS OFFICE AND FABLETOWN, THAN IT WON'T BE JUST YOUR JOB!** ” 

 

Shadow managed to calm himself as did Bigby, “Look.” Shadow said, “I broke a rule, you’re mad, I get it. In fact it's completely understandable to why you're pissed at me, but just hear me out. This case… This dead girl Faith… There might be more to it than meets eye.”   
  


At this point both Bigby and Snow got curious to what he was saying, “What do you mean, more to it?” Bigby asked raising an eyebrow.

 

“I’m just saying this couldn’t be just a simple murder.” Shadow replied, “You said it yourself last night, whoever left her head on the doorstep was trying to give us a message. I can’t say for sure, but it’s possible that this could be bigger than any other case that you and Ms. White did over the years.”

 

Bigby at this point was silently and really thought about what Shadow was saying. “What exactly did Lawrence tell you?” Bigby had eventually asked both him & Maria. 

 

“He didn’t say much.” Maria replied to Bigby, “All he said was a name.” 

 

“A name?” Snow asked her.

 

“Someone named Georgie.” She replied. 

 

Bigby asked them, “Georgie?” 

 

“We wanted to ask who he was, but we couldn’t, since that man Dee showed up to the apartment.” Shadow replied. 

 

“Anything else we should know about?”

 

“Actually yeah. First of all Lawrence was asking Dee who killed his wife. He acted like he knew Dee from somewhere. Second, Dee said he was looking for the Woodsman for his employer. I tried to ask who his client was, but he refused to say anything, said it was confidential.” 

 

“Is Dee a detective?”

 

“He told me he's a private investigator. He gave me his business card to prove it.” 

 

Shadow took the business card out of his pocket and handed it to Bigby; He took a look at the card, before placing it in his pocket.

 

“Did he say where Woody was now?” He asked Shadow. 

 

“He said he was at the bar, the Trip Trap.” Shadow replied, “He told me he was going to go over there to get Woody. To see if he knew anything.” 

 

“Alright, I guess that’s where we’re heading next.” Snow said to Bigby, “After that I’ll have to take you both home. Garry and Ib will meet us back at the Woodlands. Maria we'll talk about this when we get there.” 

 

"And don't you think I've dropped this discussion with you either." Bigby said to Shadow.

 

The two teens had decided to not say anything, since they knew they couldn’t argue with their own parents and plus they didn't want to make things worse for themselves. 

 

The cab driver had taken them over to the Trip Trap, where Bigby had gotten out of the cab. But before he could even approach the front door, he was stopped when he heard Snow. “Bigby, can I have a word with you?” Snow asked as she exited the cab leaving the two teens inside. 

 

“What is it?” Bigby asked turning to her. 

 

“I just wanted to talk to you about this whole case.” Snow replied, “Every-time I think we're getting a handle on what’s really going on… Things just seem to get more complicated. It just feels like we’re always one step behind.” 

 

Bigby had replied, “The Woodsman is one of the only leads that we have. He was one of the last one to see Faith alive. Getting answers out of him will start to clear things up.” 

 

“I hope you’re right. Because if what Shadow said about Dee looking for Woodsman and Lawrence is true than, we can’t let him get to him first.” 

 

Snow stood there for a moment in silent, unsure if she should ask anything else. 

 

“Do you have anything else you wanted to ask?” Bigby asked her. 

 

“Yeah.” Snow said, “Be honest with me… Who do you think did this, really?” 

 

Bigby gave a quizzical look to her, wondering why she would ask her that particular question. 

 

“I know it’s still early.” Snow said, “But… I just feel a step behind. It’s an uncomfortable feeling.” 

 

Bigby had decided to give her his honest opinion, “If I had to say… Those two that attacked Shadow, Dee & Dum. They might have something to do with all this.” 

 

“You think so?”

 

“I don’t how or why just yet, but if you’re asking… It’s a hunch.” 

 

Meanwhile within the cab, Shadow had tried to move to get a better look as to what Snow and Bigby were talking about, but as soon as he tried to move he felt pain on his right side, the same place where Dee & Dum had kicked him. 

 

He let out a groan and grasped his side when he felt the pain. 

 

Maria who now sat next to him had said to him as she helped him sit up, “Don’t push yourself.” She said with concern, “It'll only get worse if you do.” 

 

“Don’t worry. I’ll be fine.” Shadow had told her, “Besides I’ve dealt with worse, remember?” 

 

“I know.” She said, “But still with all the things you do and all the risks you take, you worry a lot of people.” 

 

“Well…” He said, “It’s really worth the trouble.”  

 

Maria then turned her attention to Bigby and Snow who were still talking outside.

 

“What do you think they’re talking about?” She asked him. 

 

“Don’t know. Probably about this whole case.” Shadow had said, “Or worse, our punishment.” 

 

“You did disobey Mr. Wolf’s orders.” 

 

“And if I didn’t Lawrence would’ve probably been dead by the time they got to his apartment. Is he still--”

 

“He’ll be fine. While you were unconscious Ib said that Swineheart had gotten to there in time, he said he’ll be alright.” 

 

Shadow gave a sigh a relief, “Thank god.” He said, “At least one good thing came out of doing this.” Maria gave a small smile, “Yeah, I guess you're right about that.” He had noticed that Maria’s eyes had changed. It was a familiar vibe that he was getting off of her. “Hey.” Shadow said, “What’s the matter?” 

 

“I’m wondering…” Maria said, “Are you, going to be taking more risk like this?” 

 

This made Shadow confused by her question. “What do you mean?” 

 

“I mean about what you said before. About this case being bigger than what my mother and Mr. Wolf have been able to handle. Do you think it might be true?” 

 

“Maybe, maybe not. I don’t know it could be.” 

 

“Than will you be taking more risks like this?” 

 

“If it comes to it. Than yes, they’re probably going to be more risks like this one. Why? You planning on stopping me?” 

 

Maria shook her head, “I know there’s no point in trying to once your mind is set on things like this, but…” 

 

Shadow raised an eyebrow, “But…?”

 

She once again let out a small smile, “No, it’s nothing, just promise me you’ll be careful, and not get yourself killed?” 

 

She held out her pinky to him, letting Shadow’s eyes widen. He knew Maria would at times get concerned about his safety, but what she has been saying just now, she was basically granting him permission to keep taking the risks in the whole case. This was pretty new for him to see Maria act this way. He couldn’t figure out what it was though. 

 

Eventually he let his pinky intertwine with hers and he said, “Promise.” 

 

They than proceeded to both say a rhyme. 

 

**_Pinky, pinky bow-bell_ **

**_Whoever tells a lie_ **

**_Will sink down to the bad place_ **

**_And never rise up again_ **

 

“There.” Maria said with a smile as she pulled away her pinky, “Now I know you’ll be able to keep the promise, just like when we were kids.” 

 

“Glad to see your so trusting.” Shadow said jokingly.

 

They had both proceeded to laugh. 

 

After awhile Snow had gotten back into the cab, with Bigby escorting her. He shut the car door the minute she had got in. Bigby turned around and once again before he could enter the front door, he was stopped by Snow. 

 

“Bigby.” She said. 

 

Bigby turned back to her. 

 

Snow had then said hesitantly, “I… Um… Just be careful, please.” 

 

Bigby had then replied letting out small smile, “The same goes for you.” 

 

“I will.” Snow said, smiling back. 

 

Thus the cab had left, and Bigby descended down the stairs to enter the Trip Trap.


	7. Chapter 7

- **_Two Years Ago; Woodlands Apartment_ ** -

 

_ Garry sat in the Living Room with his little seven year old sister watching television. His mother Beauty came in with two plates which had brownies.“Here you Garry, Ib, fresh out of the oven.” She said to them handing each of them a plate containing one brownie.  _

 

_ “Aw sweet!” Garry said with a smile and his eyes just sparkled at the sight, “Thanks mom!”  _

 

_ “Thank you mommy!” Ib said with her eyes sparkling as well.  _

 

_ They took the plates of brownies from their mother and proceeded to eat them; their eyes sparkled even more, which caused Beauty to giggle a little. “Hey mom?” Garry had asked, “Is dad going to take us to the park today?”  _

 

_ Beauty had replied, placing her hand on his shoulder, “Oh, I’m sorry honey. Daddy had to work again today.”  _

 

_ “Oh…” Garry said with a pouty look.  _

 

_ Beauty than cheered him by saying, “But don’t worry, I’m sure he’ll take you and Ib to the park this coming weekend, don’t worry.”  _

 

_ “Yeah, sure.” Garry replied.  _

 

_ Just than they heard the doorbell ringing. “Who could that be?” Beauty had mumbled to herself and she proceeded to answer the door. She opened the door and it was revealed to be-- _

 

_ “Oh, Shadow, Maria!” Beauty said.  _

 

_ “Hi Mrs. Beauty.” Shadow & Maria both said.  _

 

_ “What brings you two here?” She asked the them.  _

 

_ “We came here to see Garry.” Shadow had replied to Beauty, “Is it alright if we come in?”  _

 

_ “Of course, come on inside.” Beauty had said to them, and she lead them to the Living Room.  _

 

_ Garry had immediately took notice of them. He recognized Shadow, but he didn’t of course recognize Maria. “Oh hey! It’s you again.” Garry said to him, “Good afternoon.”  _

 

_ “Hey there Garry.” Shadow said, “It’s nice to see you again.”  _

 

_ “So your Garry huh?” Maria said, “It’s nice to finally meet you. My name is Maria White.”  _

 

_ “Maria White?” Ib had asked “You were adopted by Ms. White?”  _

 

_ “Yeah.” Maria said, “The one and only Snow White.”  _

 

_ “What are you guys doing here anyway?” Garry had asked.  _

 

_ “Our parents are at work right now.” Shadow had replied, “They said it was okay to come and visit you.”  _

 

_ “Really they allow you to do that?” He asked.  _

 

_ “Yeah.” Maria said, “So long as we don’t get into any trouble.”  _

 

_ Maria & Shadow sat down beside Garry as they talked for a little while. Since the day that Shadow had saved his life from the teenage mundies they have been hanging out, or at least try to make the time for it. Considering the fact that Shadow was grounded by Bigby Wolf for pulling what he considers a stupid stunt, and should’ve at least told him about the situation and thus he was grounded for two weeks. Garry kind of felt bad for getting him grounded, but Shadow told him not to worry about it and had said it was alright.  _

 

_ After the two weeks were up he and Garry were able to hang out, with their parents permissions of course. _

 

_ Shadow had told Maria about him and had decided to bring her along with him.  _

 

_ They sat and watched the television which had played cartoons as they played the card game old maid.  _

 

_ “ _ **_YAY!!_ ** _ ” Ib shouted with glee, “ _ **_I’M THE FIRST OUT!!_ ** _ ” _

 

_ The three were both shocked and amazed. “Oh come on!” Shadow said, “That’s the third time she’s the first out!”  _

 

_ “Your sister is really good at this game.” Maria said to Garry. _

 

_ “I did tell you guys that she was better at this game than I am.” Garry had told them.  _

 

_ “Yeah, and you weren’t kidding.” Shadow had told him.  _

 

_ As they continued to play the game Maria had said to them, “I’ve never seen you two around the Woodlands before. Are you both new?”  _

 

_ Garry had replied while deciding which card to take from Shadow’s hand, “Actually no, we’ve been here for a while. We were adopted by Beauty and Beast seven years ago.”  _

 

_ “Really?” Shadow said, “You’ve been here for that long? But I’ve never seen you around here much, let alone outside.”  _

 

_ “Yeah, that’s my parents.” Garry said, “They can be very protective over me and Ib sometimes, but that’s mostly my dad.”  _

 

_ “Than what were doing outside of the Woodlands?”  _

 

_ “I was out for a walk at the time, although I didn’t count on being beaten by those teen mundies.” _

 

_ “Yeah well, no one pretty much counted on that.”  _

 

_ Garry picked a card from Shadow’s hand but made an disappointed groan when he got the wrong card. _

 

_ “That reminds me, is Mr. Wolf, still mad about what you did?” Maria asked Shadow. _

 

_ “Kind of.” Shadow said as he proceeded to pick a card from Maria’s hand, “He’s not as mad as before.”  _

 

_ “That’s good.” She said, as Shadow took a card, discarding two when he got a matching pair, “If he’s not as mad as before than it is progress.”  _

 

_ “Progress?” Garry asked.  _

 

_ “It’s kind of how dad is.” Shadow simply replied, “Especially when it comes to other people.”  _

 

_ “Huh.” Garry said, “No wonder mom and dad say he can be at times scary, no offense.”  _

 

_ “No, I’m with you.” Shadow had told him, “He can be scary when he’s angry.”  _

 

_ “Doesn’t it bother you?” _

 

_ “What doesn’t bother me?”  _

 

_ “That you're living with the former Big Bad Wolf?” _

 

_ Shadow shook his head, which Garry was surprised at it. “You're not?” Garry had asked him. “Nope.” Shadow said, “To be honest I don’t mind living with the Big Bad Wolf himself. I mean I’ve heard in the Homelands that he caused trouble, but here once you get to know him, you can see that he’s just giving what you would call, tough love.”  _

 

_ Ib tilted her head. “You really think so?”  _

 

_ Shadow simply smiled her and said, “I know so.”  _

 

_ Just than they heard Maria say, “Yay! I’m the second one out!”  _

 

_ Shadow and Garry eyes both widened in shock and they both shouted in unison, “ _ **_WHAT!?_ ** _ ” _

* * *

 

Bigby had entered the Trip Trap while fixing his tie; the bar had contained a single fan and a pool table. When he saw that there were only two people within the bar; which was Holly & Grendel. The two had took notice of Bigby when he entered the surprisingly small bar and they gave him a glare. 

 

“What do you want Sheriff?” The woman who was named Holly had asked him, with attitude and placing her hand on her hip.

 

“I’m looking for the Woodsman.” Bigby had replied to her. 

 

“Well he’s not here.” She replied while crossing her arms, “So I guess you can go now.”

 

Bigby approached the bar, “Look, I’m not even going to ask where he is right now, okay? I just wanna know the last time he was here, that’s all.” 

 

“Who?” Holly asked, turning to Grendel for a moment.

 

Bigby placed both his hands on the bar, “I’m being nice, so try again.”

 

Holly had replied, trying not to make eye contact with him, “He hasn’t been here for a few weeks.” 

 

“Really?” 

  
  
“No, maybe… I don’t know. But yeah, he hasn’t been in here for awhile, if he’s been here at all… which… I… I don’t know.” 

 

Bigby had noticed that she kept making eye contact to Grendel, who would shake his head, whenever she turned over to him. “Don’t let him tell you what to do.” Bigby said to her, “You’re your own woman.” 

 

“Well this is me talking Bigby…” She said, “Fuck off.” 

 

He soon noticed that there was a half empty glass. Curious to who it belonged to, he had asked Holly, “Who is that?” 

 

“Someone who left.” Holly replied.

 

“Why didn’t you dump it than?” 

 

Holly had said nothing; she couldn’t answer the sheriff. He heard Grendel answer for her, “If you want to a cleaner place, feel free to get the fuck out of here.” Bigby turned to Grendel, “I’m sensing a very hostile tone from you.” He stated, “Don’t deny it. I’m good at picking up on this stuff.” 

 

He noticed a picture of the Woodsman. “He a regular?” He asked Holly once more. 

 

“I don’t know who you’re talking about.” She said turning away from him. 

 

“The one with the bald head and the beard.” He said. 

 

She soon turned back to him, “Never seen him.” 

 

Bigby knew it would be hopeless when talking to Holly, so he decided to do the next best thing and talk to Grendel. He walked over to him, and took a seat just next to him. 

 

“Lotta stools in this place.” Grendel had said not making eye contact with him. 

 

“But there’s only one right next to you.” Bigby simply replied. 

 

Holly walked over to where he sat, “You gonna order something or you just going to bother my customers?”

 

Bigby took another look around the bar, seeing how it was empty anyone can practically a tumbleweed just roll by. 

 

“You know what I mean.” Holly said to him. 

 

“Gimme a Midas’ Gold.” 

 

“You wanna lime with that?” 

 

“Sure.” 

 

“I think they have some at the bar down the street.” 

 

Grendel laughed at what Holly had said to Bigby. “You think it’s funny?” The Sheriff asked him. 

 

To which Grendel had replied, “Yeah, think it’s fuckin’ hilarious.” He took a sip from his drink. “It was alright.” He said playing along, before saying, “Come on guys. I don’t want to be here. You don’t want me here. The sooner you answer my questions the sooner I’ll be out of your--” 

 

Bigby was soon cut off when he heard a sound of flushing coming from the back room; He heard someone whistling while someone was washing their hands. The doors opened and it had revealed to be the Woodsman. 

 

“Holly you're out of paper towels in the--” 

 

The Woodsman, nicknamed Woody, was cut off when he noticed that Bigby was sitting at the bar. Bigby smiled at him, but Woody had seemed to ignore him as he took his seat by the half empty glass. 

 

“Saved your beer for you.” Bigby said to him, “Holly wanted to clear it, but I said, no he’ll be back. Now here you are.” 

 

Woody had seemed to ignored what Bigby had said. “You and me’ve been goin’ at it for hundreds of years…” Woody said, “I’m through fightin’.” He took a sip from his drink. 

 

“Well, Woody, that makes two of us.” Bigby had said before saying to Grendel, “You're in luck. I’ve decided to switch seats.” 

 

He got up from his seat. Before he could walk over to Woody, Grendel had stopped him. Bigby turned to him, “I just want to talk. It doesn’t have to go like this.” Grendel had turned to him to look him in the eye, “Maybe he don’t want to talk to you.” 

 

“Why don’t you let him tell me that?” He asked earning a glare from Grendel. 

 

“It’s okay Gren.” He heard Woody say. 

 

Grendel looked over at Woody only for a second before removing his hand from his shoulder. Bigby walked over to where Woody sat and took a seat next to him. 

 

“It’s funny…” The Sheriff said, “Just a minute ago no one seemed to know who you were.” 

 

“Yeah… Well…” Woody said, “Everyone knows you. Big Bad Wolf. Now I’m the bad guy and you’re the Sheriff. What kinda fuckin’ world is that, huh?” 

 

“Come on Woody.” He said, “Why did you do it? No bullshit.” 

 

“Same reason people do a lot of awful things.” Woody had replied, “For money.”

 

Bigby didn’t know what he meant by that until he started to explain it. 

 

“I’d walked past her place for weeks… She didn’t look like it, but she had money. I was sure of it. And she wouldn’t put up any kinda fight. I was gonna rob her. And the night I finally got the nerve to do it… There you are… Fuckin’ things up for me. You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. I wasn’t there to save her…” 

 

“What are you talking about exactly?” Bigby asked him knowing perfectly well he wasn’t talking about Faith. 

 

“Red Riding Hood.” Woody had answered, “Her grandmother. I was there to rob them… When I showed up you were already there… Lying in bed. I only saved her cause’ I thought she was going to give me a reward… but she didn’t give shit. Cept a buncha people thinkin’ I’m something I ain't. I played along as long as I could. Only I managed to get from it was a free drink every now and again… huh lotta good that did.”

 

“I already know this story, Woody.” Bigby had said to him.

 

“You should, you were there.” He said to the Sheriff. 

 

Bigby had finally told Woody the reason why he was here, “I’m not talking about Red Riding Hood, I’m here about Faith. She was murdered.” 

 

Woody gave a confused look to Bigby, “What? Faith? Who’s that?” 

 

“The girl you were beating on this morning.” Bigby had replied. 

 

At this point, Woody eyes widened in shock; Bigby clearly saw that panic had started to rise. He practically started to sweat, “No. No. No. No. I was here. I swear.” 

 

“It doesn’t look good when a girl getting smacked around shows up dead hours later.” Bigby said to him. 

 

Woody had begun to sweat; The panic started to rise in him. “She’s dead?” He said with realization; he turned to him, “Bigby listen… I’m a piece of shit, okay… I know that. I hit that girl. I did. I shouldn’t’ve but I didn’t kill her. You believe me right? They’re gonna string me up, Bigby. Like you said, it looks fuckin’ bad, it looks really bad. But I didn’t do it.” 

 

“He was here.” Bigby heard Grendel say, “That’s the fuckin’ truth Sheriff.” 

 

“You see Bigby?” Woody said, “Bigby please. You can’t. They’ll throw me down the Witching Well. That’s what they’ll do and I didn’t do it. You know that.” 

 

Grendel finished his drink, he slammed his drank on the table and got up from his seat. Woody realized what Grendel was about to do, he immediately got up from his seat, “Stop! This isn’t what I want!” 

 

“Shut the fuck up Woody!” Grendel said to Woody, “Shit just ain’t about you. It’s about this fuckin’ lap dog. Only comes sniffing around this part of town when the rich fucks in the Woodlands need a shakedown! Ain’t that right Bigby?” 

 

“You’re backing the wrong guy.” Bigby said turning to him, “If you saw what I saw last night, you’d know that.” 

 

“What I see is someone who wouldn’t be here if I was the one needin’ the law for some help!” Grendel had retorted, “Holly’s sister goes missing and no one gives two shits about her. Paperwork, waiting rooms, and that bitch Snow White looking right past me, then ushering me out fuckin’ door!” 

 

“I wouldn’t call her that.” Bigby said getting up from his seat, “It’s happened before, and it doesn’t end well.” 

 

“I didn’t realize you were the bitch of the bitch.” 

 

At that point, Bigby just lost it, without even thinking about the consequences, he had punched Grendel right in the face; the impact caused Grendel to fall over a stool and than to the ground. 

 

Grendel wiped the blood from his mouth, “Is that all you got?” He said while sitting up. 

 

“Seemed to be enough.” Bigby had replied. 

 

“Don’t be so sure.” 

 

Grendel got up from the floor, as he did he changed from his human form to his true form which made Bigby say as he rolled his eyes, “Oh, good.” 

 

Grendel was now twice the size compared to Bigby, and because of the small space they were in, he uses his hands to move as well as if he were a gorilla. He got face to face with Bigby, “Should’ve walked out of here when you had the chance.” He said with his voice slightly deep. 

 

“Come on, you’re scaring the lady.” Bigby said to him. 

 

He heard Holly say, “Don’t worry about me.” 

 

She changed from her human form to her true form as well; her true form of being a troll. 

 

With Bigby distracted, Grendel made his first move. He hit Bigby with brute force causing him to stumble backward. Luckily Bigby stopped himself from falling, by hitting the bar instead of falling to the floor. He attempted to use a beer mug to hit Grendel, but Holly acted fast and forced Bigby to put the beer mug down, slamming on the wood. 

 

Grendel grabbed him from behind and slammed Bigby on the ceiling breaking the fan. He continued to do this until Bigby grabbed the ceiling fan and slammed it right on his head; But he quickly came to regret that when he collided with the floor. 

 

Grendel picked him up off the ground and through him across the room. Bigby quickly recovered; he saw Grendel push the pool towards him. He acted fast and he jumped up so that he was now on the table; He punched him again, but Grendel hit Bigby which sent him flying towards the exit door due to his strength. 

 

Bigby shook the pain off and got up, but he found himself ducking when Grendel through a chair at him; a table managed to hit him. 

 

Grendel grabbed his leg, and he swung him around like a rag doll, letting him hit the wall, the ceiling, and floor. Grendel had then proceeded to drag Bigby back over to the bar, but soon was stopped. 

 

He turned and saw claw marks trailing over to Bigby’s hands. Grendel picked him up and threw him across the room again. 

 

Bigby around revealing his eye had changed to yellow and coated with black. He growled revealing his fangs; he was slightly more hairy from his arms to his beard and chest. He had his hands open revealing that he indeed have claws. 

 

Grendel charged at him and Bigby punched him to the ground causing him slide across the floor and squirt a little blood. Before Grendel could get up he kicked him in the stomach, so that he fell face flat on the ground. 

 

Grendel had then tackled him. Bigby sunk his claws in his right shoulder causing him to cry out in agony, drop him, lose his balance and collide with the wall. 

 

Bigby jumped on his back; Grendel had tried to shake him off but to no avail, Bigby held on tight. He then scratched his neck causing him to cry out in agony; he then scratched his neck. He tried to get Bigby off by hitting him into the wall, but instead Bigby grabbed a broken pool stick right in the shoulder. 

 

Grendel fell to his knees, and Bigby got off of his back and hit him right in the leg, breaking it. 

The sheriff ignored Woody’s voice, despite the fact that he was telling him to stop. He grabbed a hold of Grendel’s arm.   
  


Just when he was preparing himself to rip off his arm clean off, he soon heard a voice which he recognized yell out to him, “ **STOP!!!** ” 

 

Bigby turned and was shocked to see his son Shadow standing right there in the bar. “ _ What is he doing here? _ ” Bigby couldn’t help but wonder. “He’s already got the message!” Shadow said running over to him, “There’s no need to take this any further!” 

 

Bigby turned back to Grendel and turned back to Shadow who was now by his side. In the next moment he let go of Grendel letting Shadow sigh with relief. He then walked over to the bar, to a frightened Holly. 

 

“Whiskey.” He said. 

 

Hesitantly, Holly got the bottle of wine and a small cup, but Bigby threw it to the side causing to the break. 

 

“Double.” He said.

 

Once again hesitantly Holly got out a twice the size of the smaller cup. She poured the whiskey into the cup. Bigby drank his drink in one gulp and once he placed the cup down on to the table he was back to his old self. 

 

“All this. Never happened.” Bigby said to Holly. 

 

She was about to pour him another drink, “I’m good.” He said stopping her as he paid for the drink. 

 

Woody was slowly making his way towards the back door, the same way Shadow came in. “Don’t even think about it.” Bigby had said to him with a glare. 

 

“Is this the kind of treatment I can expect if I let you take me in?” Woody had asked Bigby shooting a glare back to him. 

 

“Hey, he started it.” Bigby said. 

 

“You hit him first!” The axeman said to the sheriff. 

 

“Yeah, but he was being an asshole.” Bigby said to him.

 

He then turned to his son Shadow who just stood there just on the other side of the bar. Shadow smiled and waved awkwardly to him, knowing that he was in a whole lot of trouble. Before Bigby could ask what he was even doing here, he heard the entrance to the bar open up and came another voice. 

 

The person that came in the bar revealed to be Tweedle Dee. 

 

“Alright, I got a hundred bucks for the first bloke that can tell me something about a girl named--” 

 

Dee was cut off when he saw Grendel on the floor grasping his shoulder. He turned and saw Bigby and Shadow (Who was giving him a death glare). Bigby turned to Dee.

 

“Fuck.” Dee said. 

 

Just than in a single moment both Woody and Dee started to make a break for it and the whole world just seemed to go in slow motion. Bigby let out a growl as he was unsure who to go after. 

 

Shadow on the other hand, wasted no time of who to go after. He immediately charged at Dee, and grabbed a hold of his arm. Once again despite his size he kept him in place but that soon stopped and Dee punched in the place where he and his brother kicked him, causing him to fall to his knees as he cried in agony, “ **GAH!** **SON OF A BITCH THAT HURTS!!** ”

 

Dee ran straight for the door only to be rammed right into it by Bigby who got him pinned. “Fuck man!” Dee said, “That’s not necessary!” 

 

Bigby saw Woody run out the back door in a panic. “Shit…” He said under his breath. 

 

“He’s the one you want not me!” Dee said to Bigby. It wasn’t long to he felt cuffs around both of his wrists. Bigby went over to Shadow dragging Dee along with him. He helped him off the floor with his free hand. 

 

“You alright?” Bigby asked him. 

 

Shadow nodded his head, “Yeah, more or less.” 

 

“Hey kid!” Dee said to Shadow, “Tell your old man that he’s got the wrong guy!” 

 

Shadow shot another death glare at him as he said, “Your brother won’t be able to help you this time around.” 

 

Bigby showed Dee out the door with Shadow following behind him, “C’mon, you're under arrest.” 

 

“I told you, I didn’t do it!” Dee said. 

 

“Than you got nothing to worry about.” Bigby reassured him. 

 

Bigby with Dee in custody walked down the block with Shadow by his side. Throughout most of the walk they were both silent, they didn’t say a word to each other. He noticed that he was holding to his side and hissing in agony after what he just endured from Dee. 

 

Bigby finally broke the silence between them, “You sure you’re okay? You’ve favoring your side for a while now.”    
  


“Yeah.” Shadow said, “I just didn’t expect it to hurt this much.” 

 

“What were you doing at the Trip Trap anyway? I thought you had gone home with Maria and Snow.” 

 

Shadow rubbed the back of his head, unsure if he should answer him. “Well…” He started to say. 

 

“Don’t make me force the answer out of you.” Bigby threatened, “You know I can do that.” 

 

Shadow finally let out a sigh and replied, “I snuck out of the cab before it drove off and snuck in through the back of the Trip Trap. I figured that you might needed some back up.” 

 

“Does Snow know you’re with me?” 

 

“...Probably.” 

 

Bigby sighed as he rubbed his eyes, “Look, I appreciate the thought but it’s bad enough that you put yourself in danger whenever something like this happens, hell you almost got yourself killed today just trying to catch this douche bag.” 

 

“Hey!” Dee said. 

 

“But would you cut me a break here Shadow? I’ve got enough to worry about in this case.”

 

“With all due respect dad, I don’t think I can, not after what I’ve seen today. Lawrence, that poor girl Faith, I’m sorry but I can’t let that go, I’ve already made up my mind on this.” 

 

“Shadow listen you gotta understand, this case is different than the ones you and your friends have been able to handle before. I’m not saying to just drop the case entirely, I’m just saying you should just take a step back and let Snow and I take care of it.” 

 

“I think I’ll be able to handle what comes my way. Besides I said it before didn’t I? It’s not just your job anymore, it’s mine as well.” 

 

Bigby gave an annoyed sigh and just thought to himself, “ _ Why can’t he understand that this case is different than what he’s been able to handle. Besides if he were to get hurt or worse from this than. God I don’t want to have to think about it. _ ”

 

Bigby was soon bought out of his train of thought when he heard Shadow. 

 

“Dad?” He said, “There something wrong? You had your thinking look on.” 

 

Bigby turned to him, “Well it’s obvious I can’t stop you from getting involved in this case than you already are, and since we’re short on hand anyway I’m going to let you continue to help out. But you have to promise me that you won’t do anything stupid, and not go anywhere related to this case without me or Snow.” 

 

“Promise.” Shadow said, unknowingly to Bigby that he had his fingers crossed behind his back. 

 

“Good.” He said to him, “I’m glad we have an understanding. Now hopefully when we get back to Woodlands we’ll get closer to figuring out about what’s--”

 

“What the hell?” Shadow suddenly said cutting him off. 

 

Bigby turned his to where it caught Shadow’s eye. Shadow ran ahead, with Bigby soon following. As soon as they turned corner to reach the Woodlands, they found police just parked at the front with “Caution Tapes” around the entrance. 

 

“The Mundy Police?” Shadow said, “What are they doing here?” 

 

“Don’t know.” Bigby said. 

 

He then proceeded to cuff Dee at a nearby light post. “Do anything stupid, and I’ll throw you down the Witching Well myself.” He threatened Dee. He turned to Shadow, “And you stay put, I mean it this time.” 

 

“Scouts honor.” Shadow said to him while saluting. 

 

Bigby had then walked over to the front gate. As he did saw a police walk away from the scene trying real hard not to throw up. Bigby managed to get under the tape since most of the officers were distracted by Beast who had just came just around the corner. 

 

He went over to the front door as the whole world around him went slow once more. He saw that most of the other Police Officers were towering over something. He leaned over the shoulders of the Officers, only to find his eyes widened and jaw drop by what he never thought he would see. 

 

What he saw before him… Was the head of Snow White. 


End file.
